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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22360030">Impromptu</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRowan_Ivy630951/pseuds/SilverRowan_Ivy630951'>SilverRowan_Ivy630951</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Magic AUs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Animagus Bucky (unregistered), Animagus Steve (unregistered), Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky is from Romania, Complete, Confidential Registry for In-Danger Animagi, Established Relationship, Hurt Steve Rogers, M/M, Memory Loss, Natasha Romanov Needs a Hug, Natasha gets her revenge, Natasha is a first-year student, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Secret Relationship, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve and Bucky (and the Howling Commandos) were underage but fought anyway, Steve is from Ireland, Steve’s mother was a squib from a pure-blood family, The Battle of Hogwarts happened in the 2000s not the 1990s, The Howling Commandos Against Bullying, a.k.a. CRIDA</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:47:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22360030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRowan_Ivy630951/pseuds/SilverRowan_Ivy630951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>McGonagall tracks Steve and Bucky down to offer them positions at the newly opened Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the USA. </p>
<p>Steve and Bucky have recently had some…issues as a result of run-ins with HYDRA that they’ve been trying to deal with. </p>
<p>They accept the offered Professorships. </p>
<p>The problems: school starts in two days, they have no lesson plans lined up, and HYDRA is probably still looking for them. There’s also the little matter of them being illegal Animagi. Oh. And then there's Bucky's memory loss. </p>
<p>With all of that, what could possibly happen?<br/>--<br/>-Story is complete.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Magic AUs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>-Knowing a bit about the Harry Potter world is suggested but not necessary. If you don't know something, you can look it up on the Harry Potter wiki. You also don't need to know much about Captain America. Just the characters.</p>
<p>This is self-beta'd so let me know if you see any errors. Concrit is welcome.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 1</strong>
</p><p>“…are you and what do you want?” Bucky demanded. He sounded deadly serious and it drew Steve partway out of sleep.</p><p>Still floating, he heard “My name is Minerva McGonagall. I used to teach you when you went to Hogw…”</p><p>Steve’s brain clicked into gear. McGonagall. Hogwarts.</p><p>“Morrigan,” Steve cursed as he bolted upright, nearly falling out of his and Bucky’s bed. Grabbing up his wand, he raced out of the tent. “No, Buck! No! She’s a friend!” He wasn’t sure what he’d find when he made it outside, but he silently promised he would be prepared for anything.</p><p>He nearly skidded into his husband as he tried to stop. “She’s a friend,” he repeated, this time at a lower volume.</p><p>Bucky stood there, glaring suspiciously, wand still aimed at Professor McGonagall’s heart.</p><p>She was Headmistress now, Steve remembered. But she’d been a Professor for most of their school years, and they’d still called her Professor during the last two years they’d attended Hogwarts, so it was hard to think of her as anything else.</p><p>At Steve’s declaration of friendship, Bucky glanced over uncertainly, his wand dropping a bare inch. “You know her?”</p><p>“<em>We</em> know her,” Steve corrected. Crowding in close, he gently placed one hand on Bucky’s wrist and the other on his lower back, rubbing soothingly. “She left out information on Animagi for us to find, probably because neither of us were willing to leave it alone or ask for tutelage.”</p><p>“You succeeded then?” she asked as Bucky slowly allowed Steve to lower his arm. “I’d always wondered. But you’re not on the Animagus Registry so I was never sure.”</p><p>“The Ministry was such a mess after Voldemort’s defeat…” Steve tried to explain. “We just…never did. And we’re…” he paused to think of the correct word, “<em>different</em> enough that people would want to examine us—to study us. And now, with the enemies we’ve made over the years…” He shook his head. “We don’t particularly relish the idea of just anyone being able to look us up. We’ll take Azkaban—if it ever came to that—over the torture the Red Skull and Pierce’s lieutenants or any of the others would dole out were they to identify and capture us.”</p><p>A single quick glance told him that McGonagall understood.</p><p>Of course she did. If she’d somehow tracked them down when no one else could have known where they were—when they had protections learned from Hermione Granger as well as other powerful people in place—then she had to know much more about the lives they’ve led since graduating Hogwarts.</p><p>It shouldn’t have surprised him. McGonagall had always been extremely astute, not to mention absolutely brilliant. That obviously hadn’t changed in the ten years since they’d left Hogwarts.</p><p>Knowing what their lives had been like as of late would certainly explain why she was so calm and unfazed when Bucky—someone who should’ve known her on sight—demanded to know who she was.</p><p>That reminded him.</p><p>“You never answered his second question, Professor. What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Neither of you have been my students for a long time, Rogers,” she said. “I think it’s about time you call me Minerva. Don’t you? And I’m here to offer you jobs.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 2</strong>
</p><p>Steve and Bucky stood at the edge of the magically hidden grounds of Hogwarts. A <em>second</em> Hogwarts.</p><p>“Who would’ve thought?” Steve mused out loud.</p><p>“That they’d open a Hogwarts in America? I didn’t. But I don’t remember ever attending the first one.”</p><p>“I know, Buck. We’ll sort it out. It’ll just take time.”</p><p>They stood there, taking in the view of northwestern Wyoming. The American branch of Hogwarts was hidden deep in Yellowstone National Park.</p><p>According to McGonagall—Minerva, Steve mentally corrected himself—they had the full support and approval of Ilvermorny as well as MACUSA, America’s version of the Ministry of Magic. He guessed that there were a lot more witches and wizards in America today than there had been when Ilvermorny was founded in the early 1600s so they didn’t mind a second school opening up if it was on the other side of the country.</p><p>“Are…”</p><p>Steve looked at Bucky and waited for him to continue. The puzzlement in his voice had been clear, even with just one word.</p><p>“Are there a lot of castles in America?”</p><p>Steve looked back at the elaborately connected stone buildings, towering spires and turrets, sprawling lawns, dense forest, and the geysers and hot springs that dotted the area. It certainly was beautiful, if unexpected.</p><p>“I don’t…think so.” It came out sounding more like a question than anything else. Castles weren’t what he thought of when he thought of the USA. But then Steve shrugged. “But it’s what we’ve got. No point in wondering about it now. We’ve got to go report in to Headmaster Chester Phillips.”</p><p>Bucky looked unsure for a moment. “Do we know him, too?”</p><p>“We’re about to.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 3</strong>
</p><p>Meeting Headmaster Phillips went alright, all told. Meeting the rest of the teachers, however, very much did not.</p><p>With the exception of Luna Lovegood and Phillips, every one of the staff was made up of people from their old group of school friends, the Howling Commandos.</p><p>As headmaster, Phillips knew the situation with Bucky’s memory, but no one else did. So, when all the guys—every Howlie except Peggy because she, at least, had some decorum—swarmed them, shouting joyously, Bucky stepped protectively in front of Steve.</p><p>Steve tried to shout for everyone to stop but no one heard him over the sheer volume of noise.</p><p>What ground everything to a halt was Dugan suddenly landing on his ass, stunned from a spell shot from Bucky’s wand. In a split-second, everyone quieted. A few of them backed off uncertainly.</p><p>“Damn it. Why the hell didn’t she warn us,” Steve muttered darkly to himself. In the intense silence, it was heard clearly by everyone.</p><p>“Why didn’t who warn you about what?” Peggy Carter asked cautiously while Morita muttered, “What the hell, Barnes,” and went to Dum Dum.</p><p>“McGonagall. And that we would know everyone here. We could’ve prepared.” Steve said while he reversed Bucky’s spell on Dum Dum.</p><p>“We know them?” Bucky’s voice was quiet but, again, everybody heard. He had yet to lower his wand.</p><p>“Of course you know us, you jackass,” Monty said.</p><p>“What the hell?” It was Gabe who whispered it this time. Other mutterings started up from the group, too.</p><p>“Maybe if we’re quiet, we can find out why Bucky defended himself and Steve.” Luna’s musical voice was soft, but still managed to cut effectively through the room. It was straight to point and silenced even Dugan’s annoyed grumbles.</p><p>Steve just sighed, suddenly tired. “Why don’t we all sit down? This might take a while.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A pet peeve of mine is having to translate words, phrases, sentences, or entire paragraphs because people throw other languages into English stories but don’t bother to translate them. Or they decide to put the translations at the very end. So, if you want to know what's going on, you have to look it up or keep flipping back and forth. It’s a pain in the ass. </p><p>So, in this story, everything in &lt; &gt; is in another language. I will always try to specify which language they're speaking in. Obviously, everything in “ ” is plain ol’ spoken English. </p><p>Also, Voldemort=evil wizard with lots of followers/supporters. Very bad. Now dead.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 4</strong>
</p><p>“So let me get this straight—” Jim Morita started.</p><p>“You guys got married five years ago and didn’t invite us?” Dugan shouted over him, clearly offended.</p><p>“Merlin’s beard!” Peggy exclaimed. “<em>That’s</em> what you got out of all that? Not that they killed Red Skull—<em>another would-be Voldemort</em>? Or that they killed Alexander Pierce after he took over, Imperiused Bucky, made him kill an entire family, and fight and almost kill his husband? That Bucky only just broke out of the curse in time to save Steve’s life? Or that Bucky lost his memory as a result one of their insane HYDRA cultists hitting him with an incompetent spell that even the best healers wouldn’t even <em>attempt</em> to fix?”</p><p>“I mean, all of that sounds awful,” Dugan looked at Steve and Bucky, “and I’m glad you’re both alright—besides the whole memory issues, I mean.” He turned back to Peggy, “But they both presumably had their heads intact when they got <em>married</em> and didn’t <em>tell</em> us, much less <em>invite</em> us!”</p><p>Multiple people groaned at his dramatics. Dernier leaned forward and said in French, &lt;Don’t mind him. We call him Dum Dum for a reason.&gt; </p><p>Steve watched Bucky’s face change. He knew that look. It had become all too common in the last few months. He just waited patiently.</p><p>Bucky slowly leaned over to Steve and whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “Steve. When did I learn French?”</p><p>The Howling Commandos all got a kick out of that. And Steve had to admit, it was nice, having a genuine laugh after months of being on an emotional roller coaster ride, to borrow a Muggle phrase.</p><p>“We learned it out of self-defense because, once Dernier became part of the group, he never shut up.” Bucky also knew his native Romanian—which he’d taught Steve—and Irish, as Steve had returned the favor.</p><p>“Okay, so,” Steve started, wanting to get all this over with so they could get some rest. He really was tired after the long flight to the school. “Introductions. Raise your hand when I call your name, please.</p><p>“There’s Margaret Carter, from Slytherin. We call her Peggy, or sometimes Pegs. Timothy Dugan, a Gryffindor who got saddled with the nickname Dum Dum Dugan <em>very</em> early on. He’s just Dum Dum for short. Sitting beside him is Gabriel Jones, a Hufflepuff like us. He went by either Gabe or Jonesy.</p><p>“Then there’re the four Jameses. There’s you, obviously, and then there’s James Morita, from Gryffindor; we called him Jim. James Falsworth, Ravenclaw; he’s Monty, after his middle name Montgomery. And Jacques Dernier, another Slytherin. Went by French or Dernier. Or Frenchie if we wanted to tease the hell out of him. All in good fun, of course,” Steve said with a grin for the Frenchman.</p><p>“They were pretty much our main group of friends all through Hogwarts. There’s really only Howard Stark missing. He was a Ravenclaw like Monty.</p><p>“And, last, but certainly not least,” Steve said, introducing the last professor in the room, “we have Luna Lovegood. She was sorted into Ravenclaw. Luna was two years ahead of us but always really nice to our strange group of misfit kids.”</p><p>Luna gave Bucky a little wave in lieu of raising her hand. “I wasn’t a Howling Commando but you guys would sometimes talk to me or invite me to sit with you. I was a misfit, too.”</p><p>He could tell that Bucky wanted to ask why but Steve couldn’t help the long, drawn-out yawn that came out right then. It really had been a long day flying them both to Hogwarts.</p><p>“Well, now that that’s done, perhaps we should all get some rest,” Peggy said. She always had been the smartest of them all, up to and including the insanely brilliant Howard. “I imagine everyone will be busy tomorrow. And the kids will be arriving the day after.”</p><p>After quick goodnights, everyone headed off to their rooms.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 5</strong>
</p>
<p>Because it was the first year at the new American Hogwarts for all the students, not just the first-years, the Heads of House, Peggy, Dum Dum, Gabe, and Monty, led the second- through seventh-years into the Great Hall.</p>
<p>Dealing with so many uncertain students at once, it was all hands on deck.</p>
<p>Bucky and Steve had only arrived a day and a half before when everyone else had spent the entire summer there learning the area. So, while the others dealt with the hundreds of children, Steve and Bucky had been assigned the task of gathering the nervous first-years in a side room to wait. After a sufficient amount of time had passed, they would lead them all to the Great Hall to be sorted.</p>
<p>Steve wasn’t sure how all that was going to work. Technically, to align closer to schools in the United States—both Muggle schools and Ilvermorny—the new Hogwarts was starting two weeks earlier than the one in Scotland. So, would the Sorting Hat be used, first, at the American Hogwarts and, then, be sent back to the British one?</p>
<p>&lt;I feel like I’m flying blind,&gt; Bucky whispered in Romanian. &lt;I’ve felt like that since the accident, but this seems worse.&gt;</p>
<p>&lt;No,&gt; Steve whispered back in the same language, &lt;I feel like that too. Less than a week ago, we were in the middle of the nowhere with no plans other than deal with the fact that no one will try to fix your memory, and now, suddenly, we’re here herding children.&gt;</p>
<p>They were going to have to do a lot of scrambling, too, to figure out lesson plans in time. They had a week’s grace before they had to start teaching. Luckily. Apparently, it had taken McGonagall longer to track them down than she’d planned.</p>
<p>Defense Against the Dark Arts wouldn’t be so bad. They certainly knew about fighting and all manner of creatures and beasts. And there was a lesson book to follow, a guideline of sorts. They’d both always excelled at DADA.</p>
<p>Teaching first-years to fly on a broomstick was going to be pretty easy, too. It was <em>flying</em>. Also, they’d be teaching both DADA and flying lessons together.</p>
<p>The problem was going to be the third subjects they each would teach. Bucky had Astronomy, which was fine. He still had all his knowledge, even if he couldn’t remember actually learning it. And he loved Outer Space and the stars and Astrophysics. He didn’t have to know <em>how</em> he knew it to teach it. He just had to figure out his lesson plans. And the star systems over the United States of America when he was used to the ones over Europe and Asia.</p>
<p>Steve, on the other hand, had Muggle Studies. It was now a core class for everyone instead of a possible elective starting in year three. In making it mandatory, the idea was to foster a better understanding and tolerance toward Muggles. And, also, to make it so witches and wizards didn’t stand out as much when around them.</p>
<p>He understood why he was teaching the subject. He truly did.</p>
<p>His mother was a squib who’d been cut off from her family when she didn’t get a Hogwarts letter. She grew up in an orphanage, eventually aged out, and married a Muggle named Joseph Rogers. Sarah, Joseph, and Steve—and then just Sarah and Steve after his father had died—had lived life as Muggles until Steve had received a letter when he was eleven.</p>
<p>So Steve understood. But most of his understanding of Muggle society was from the ’90s. He’d kept up with some things—cell phones were <em>extremely</em> useful, as was the internet—but he was definitely going to be using his week-long grace period updating his knowledge so he could teach his new students.</p>
<p>He would have to visit a Muggle library or something.</p>
<p>A note folded into the shape of an origami bird fluttered into the room and headed for Steve and Bucky.</p>
<p>It simply read: <em>We’re ready.</em>  </p>
<p>It only took one piercing whistle echoing off the stone walls of the room for Steve to bring all eighty first-years to a sudden silence. “Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts. Soon you’ll be sorted into your houses, each one noble and with a lot of history. Once in the Great Hall, before getting you sorted, Professor Carter will talk to you. We expect you to give her the proper respect she deserves by paying attention.</p>
<p>“If you’ll follow us, please.” Bucky called out. They led the way to the dining hall, side by side. Steve felt a bit like the Pied Piper from one of the stories his ma told him as a child. Being a professor would definitely take some getting used to.</p>
<p>In the Great Hall, Peggy thanked Bucky and Steve who then headed for their seats on the far left side of the staff’s table. As he passed, Steve accidentally brushed up against the Sorting Hat set on top of the stool being used in the Sorting Ceremony.</p>
<p>He didn’t pay it much mind, though, when he barely made it move. It wasn’t like he’d knocked it to the floor.</p>
<p>It was only after he sat down that he began to think.</p>
<p>The hat looked different than he remembered. It looked… cleaner and better kept, even if it still appeared ancient. And he hadn’t seen a rip on it anywhere. It didn’t make sense for someone to fix the rip. That was, after all, how the hat called out House names as the children were Sorted.</p>
<p>He did understand that it had been ten years since he’d seen the Sorting Hat and seven on top of that since he’d seen it up close. It was entirely possible that his memory was faulty. But he could almost swear that the hat looked different. He just couldn’t pin down why—aside from the obvious, that was.</p>
<p>There was a long silence that drew Steve from his thoughts. He realized that he’d missed Peggy’s entire speech on the importance of the Sorting Ceremony, the four Houses, and the earning and losing of House Points. This must be the part where the Sorting Hat says some long, clever poem or sings a song it created informing everyone of its purpose.</p>
<p>After a minute where nothing happened, Peggy looked to Headmaster Phillips. With a minute shrug, he waved a hand, indicating that she should skip ahead and call the first child’s name from the list.</p>
<p>She did so and set the Sorting Hat on top of the little boy’s head.</p>
<p>The large room was dead silent, waiting. The little brunette boy flinched dramatically and almost fell off the stool where he was perched nervously. Still the hat didn’t say a word.</p>
<p>With wide eyes, the boy turned to Peggy.</p>
<p>“It—” He flinched again. “S-She wants to speak to P-Professor Roger.” The boy squeaked. “Rogers!” he quickly corrected himself. The poor dear looked beside himself, all red in the face and terrified he’d done something wrong.</p>
<p>His words didn’t actually register in Steve’s brain, though, until Peg turned to look at him. Confusion showed clearly on her face. It was then that Steve noticed that <em>everyone</em> was staring at him.</p>
<p>Hidden behind the long festive tablecloth draped to the floor, Bucky kicked him painfully in the ankle. Snapping to attention, Steve nodded at Peggy who brought the Sorting Hat over.</p>
<p>Not quite sure what to do, but understanding the basics of the Hat—that it used Legilimency to peer into a child’s mind to sort them into the correct House—he thought, <em>Hello?</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Hello, Steven Grant Rogers.</em>
</p>
<p>Steve’s eyes widened. As far as he remembered, the Sorting Hat spoke with a male voice. And it wasn’t like that was something that would change. It had been enchanted by the four Hogwarts Founders a thousand years ago, after all.</p>
<p>This was an entirely different hat.</p>
<p><em>Yes, I am</em>, it—she—replied.<em> My name is Araminta; sister, if you will, to the hat that sorted you. I was created first, you see, but remained unused when they decided they needed me to speak. They gave me a choice: to rip my material and create a mouth, or make another hat. I chose to remain as I was. But here I was needed, so here’s where I am. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Yes ma’am. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>So polite. You’re a good man, Steve Rogers. And you chose a fine husband. So handsome, too.</em>
</p>
<p>He couldn’t help the small embarrassed sound that escaped. He could feel himself lightly blushing and looked down. Steve wasn’t sure if she meant him or Bucky, but a compliment was a compliment, no matter how awful he was at receiving them.</p>
<p>
  <em>I meant your Bucky, but you’re certainly not hard on the eyes, either. </em>
</p>
<p><em>Erm, thank you, Araminta.</em> After a few moments of silence where Steve attempted to get his blush under control, he dared ask, <em>Was that why you wished to speak with me? To compliment me on my choice of husband?</em></p>
<p>It seemed to prod her along and he felt her twitch atop his head.</p>
<p>
  <em>No. I wish to offer my help. I believe I can restore your Bucky’s memories to him.</em>
</p>
<p>Steve sucked in a surprised breath and turned to look at his husband. He was sure he looked gobsmacked. Could she, a thousand year old hat—admittedly one that was enchanted by some of the greatest witches and wizards the world has known—truly do what no Healer would even <em>attempt</em>, what they all said was impossible?</p>
<p><em>Yes</em>, she said simply.</p>
<p>Right. Mind reading.</p>
<p>
  <em>It won’t be all at once but I will do it. And I will succeed.</em>
</p>
<p>Using the Sorting Hat’s brim to hide his face once again, Steve shakily reached under the table and found Bucky’s hand. Unable to do anything else, he held on tight and worked to keep his breathing steady.</p>
<p>
  <em>Is there anything we can do for you in return? </em>
</p>
<p><em>I wish to be of use after a thousand years of nothing.</em> She paused. <em>I can sort, but I cannot speak as the Founders wished me to.</em></p>
<p>Steve thought for a few moments, brow furrowing before it smoothed back out. <em>We’ll have the children call out their House Name as their first official act as part of Hogwarts. </em></p>
<p><em>Thank you, Steve Rogers</em>, she said tenderly. <em>Give your beautiful husband a kiss for me and you both come see me when he’s ready. Now hand me back to the lovely Margaret Carter.</em></p>
<p>He met Peg’s eyes and hoped she couldn’t tell just how damp his were. Standing, Steve leaned forward, motioning for her to do the same. He quickly whispered in her ear the plan for the Sorting.</p>
<p>As she got on with the Sorting Ceremony and all the students’ eyes were on her, Steve unobtrusively walked over to whisper Araminta’s name, her request, and her promise into Headmaster Phillips’ ear. Afterwards, he quietly drew Bucky out through a side door and down a deserted hallway.</p>
<p>He had some news to share.</p>
<p>And a kiss to give.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 6</strong>
</p><p>Steve woke up early the next morning.</p><p>They both had a lot of work ahead of them to prepare for their classes but, after the news that he could have his memories back, Bucky slept better than he had since he’d lost them. So Steve let him sleep.</p><p>He dressed, kissed Bucky lightly on the forehead, causing his husband to mumble contentedly, and went out for an early morning run. Letting loose, he ran as hard and as fast as he could for as long as he could stand. It helped him think, to plan.</p><p>He was pretty sure the nearest town was several hours away by car. He wasn’t certain Hogwarts had such a Muggle way of transportation, though. And, anyway, Steve could fly faster and straighter than a car could go on the curvy roads of Yellowstone. A broomstick was fine, adequate, but he wanted to stretch the wings of his Animagus form.</p><p>He wondered if Bucky would want to come with him.</p><p>Steve had enjoyed the flight to the school. They’d taken a portkey from the woods in Europe to America and, after recovering from the ill feeling it had left them with, Steve had flown them the rest of the way. It was still a relatively new feeling for Bucky since he didn’t remember them flying together since they were teenagers but he knew his husband had enjoyed it, as well.</p><p>If Bucky went with Steve, he could use the time to look up North American star charts and anything else he needed for his Astronomy class.</p><p>Steve had heard there was a new book out on the subject, too. It was written by an extremely smart squib that had proven things about the stars using Muggle means that no Muggle would have ever thought of.</p><p>Steve decided midway through his run that, even if Bucky didn’t accompany him, Steve would buy him the book. His husband always deserved the best. The stars made Bucky happy and Bucky being happy made Steve happy.</p><p>Eventually slowing to a light jog, he spotted Peg in the distance. She was obviously waiting for him. She always had known him well.</p><p>Since he’d gotten his Hogwarts letter and wizard healers had fixed all the illnesses that Muggles could only keep an eye on or try to control, Steve had been fanatic about running and keeping fit.</p><p>Even after so many years, it still felt amazing to be able to breathe properly and stand up straight, to see and hear like everyone else.</p><p>When he’d first arrived at Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey had taken one look at him—wheezing after walking up the very short flight of steps to the Castle entrance—and had dragged him straight to Dumbledore. They’d waited just long enough for Steve to be sorted into Hufflepuff before sending him off to St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.</p><p>His mother had met them there. When she’d said that they couldn’t afford treatment of <em>any</em> kind, much less the cost of a stay in a wizarding hospital, that she was already juggling three Muggle jobs just to pay for Steve to attend Hogwarts, Dumbledore had quietly informed her that it was all taken care of.</p><p>So, even after nearly twenty years, Steve didn’t take his health for granted.</p><p>He rounded the last geyser, the almost rainbow ground dazzling in the early morning light, and slowed to a stop beside Peggy.</p><p>He thought he knew what she wanted to talk about. And he was right.</p><p>Though hesitant, Peg still didn’t pull any punches. “You left and never came back last night. What happened?”</p><p>“Did you talk to the Sorting Hat after the Ceremony?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Then you know she’s not the same hat that sorted us. She’s even older.” At her nod of agreement, her silent request for him to go on, he was unable to hold it in any longer. Besides Bucky, he’d always been closest with Peggy. Steve burst out with what Araminta had offered.</p><p>“Bucky cried when I told him,” Steve whispered. Then he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair in agitation. “Morrigan and Dagda,” he swore, invoking his mother’s favorite Irish goddess and god. “The strongest man I know and he just…broke down and <em>sobbed</em>. At the idea of having hope. That maybe, just <em>maybe</em>, the gaping hole where his life had once been can be restored.”</p><p>Steve turned and paced a few steps before coming back, scrubbing his hands over his face. “He’ll never be the same as he was before. Neither of us will. But Bucky just might be able to have his memories back.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you don’t know, this is a Hippogriff. <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hippogriff">https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hippogriff</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 7</strong>
</p>
<p>Bucky would be along in a few minutes. He’d agreed to accompany Steve to town. But because Steve would change into his Animagus form—and that form was by no means <em>normal</em>—they’d agreed to meet in a secluded spot in the castle’s surrounding forest.</p>
<p>Steve checked his Muggle-style wallet, making sure he had everything he would need. They usually stored everything they owned in either his or in Bucky’s wallets—both undetectably expanded using Extension Charms—but since they knew they’d be at Hogwarts for the year, a few unimportant things had been left out in their quarters.</p>
<p>Steve cast a spell to make sure no one saw, then transformed. He quickly sprouted a beak, feathers, wings, and a horse’s rear end.</p>
<p>They hadn’t known what animals they would transfigure into when they’d first become Animagi and Bucky had gotten a good laugh out of Steve’s. He called him a horse’s ass and teased him saying that he <em>still</em> had chicken legs. Steve had gotten his own laugh in upon seeing Bucky’s Animagus, though. He’d said that, for once, <em>Bucky</em> was smaller.</p>
<p>Before Steve had hit his final growth spurt and ended up at an even six feet tall, the same as Bucky, and put on muscle to match, Steve had been a shrimp. It hadn’t mattered how active and healthy he’d been.</p>
<p>Stretching his neck and wings out, his feathers ruffling with the movement, Steve walked around, settling into the familiar form of a Hippogriff.</p>
<p>One thing that Steve and Bucky had learned after they’d first become Animagi was that, while many of their normal human emotions were muted, their physical senses were amplified with their form. Steve literally had eagle eyes and could hear extremely well. Now, as he paced between and around tall trees, he heard a wet sniffle off to his left.</p>
<p>It took him a few minutes to reach whoever it was because he took it extremely slow, just in case.</p>
<p>Curled up against the base of a tall, scraggly tree, a tiny redhead sniffed again. The child was almost definitely a first-year considering their diminutive size, but beyond that, Steve had no idea who it was.</p>
<p>The inquiring chirrup he made as he took a step forward caused the child—a little girl, he finally saw—to look up suddenly and suck in a breath. There were wet tear tracks down her cheeks and he wondered what had made her cry. Steve gave low chirrup-squawk and stepped almost within reach.</p>
<p>The girl looked terrified but determined as she raised her hand, arm outstretched. Partly because she’d moved too fast and his animal instincts flared, and partly to see what she’d do, Steve flared his wings and rumbled as he pulled back a step.</p>
<p>She pulled away, too, but her face crumbled and tears started to fall again.</p>
<p>“Nobody likes me,” she wept. “Not even magic animals.” Her breath hitched and she let her head fall back to her knees, curling, once more, into a ball. “They call me Orphan Girl and Mudblood,” she whispered, “asking how I got here when I have no home to send a letter to and no parents waiting for me, no one who wants me.”</p>
<p>The girl cried the kind of quiet-crying only learned in an orphanage. Steve recognized it because his mother used to do the same thing.</p>
<p>Steve slowly drew closer and settled on the ground. He wanted her to stop. Now that his mind had compared her to his beloved late mother, his heart hurt.</p>
<p>With another chirrup, he nudged her arm with his beak. She looked up again, her tears momentarily forgotten. She tentatively reached out to stroke some of his small feathers causing him to let out a contented grumble, almost a purr, as he eyes half-closed.</p>
<p>Then she startled him by unexpectedly launching herself at him. Her too-thin arms wrapped tightly around his neck. The only thing that stopped Steve from rearing up in agitation was the fact that he wasn’t actually a Hippogriff so he wasn’t ruled by his instincts. Also the fact that her little body shook and trembled against him. He could hear her sobbing, tiny sounds that she did her best to hide.</p>
<p>He didn’t even know her name or what House she was in but his heart went out to the little girl.</p>
<p>Footsteps sounded nearby and, when Steve looked up, it was to see Bucky step into view. His husband seemed to sum up the situation quickly and walked over to crouch about ten feet away. “Hello.”</p>
<p>The girl sucked in a surprised breath. Her arms tightened around him for a second, as if she wanted to hide, but she quickly let go and looked up. She was brave for such a tiny thing. He wondered if she had been sorted into Gryffindor.</p>
<p>“Hello,” she whispered back.</p>
<p>“What’s your name?” Bucky asked.</p>
<p>“Natasha Romanov.”</p>
<p>Steve thought he detected the slightest Russian accent when she said her name. It was very well hidden, if it was there at all.</p>
<p>Once again, he was reminded of his mother, of how she’d changed her name to be more Irish and learned to speak like the other kids at the orphanage. All so that she was normal, so she didn’t stand out, so that maybe she’d get adopted.</p>
<p>This little girl had an American accent overlaying a possible Russian one.</p>
<p>“What House are you in, darling?”</p>
<p>Steve cocked his head, a very bird-like movement, he knew, at Bucky’s use of the pet name. It was one often used by Peggy when they’d been growing up. He knew Bucky wouldn’t remember that, but it gave Steve hope that his husband’s memories were still in there somewhere and that the Sorting Hat really could retrieve them.</p>
<p>At Bucky’s question, Natasha’s tears started up again. “Slytherin.”</p>
<p>Bucky transferred his gaze to Steve and bowed deeply, obviously asking to come closer.</p>
<p>They hadn’t felt the need to bow to each other in a very long time but either Bucky wanted to make an example of what to do around a real Hippogriff or he didn’t remember that. Either way, Steve bowed gracefully to him in return.</p>
<p>With permission granted, Bucky knee-walked forward until he was within reach of them. “Why are you crying, Natasha, darling? Don’t you like your House?”</p>
<p>Natasha shook her head vehemently. “Everyone in my class is mean to me.”</p>
<p>Bucky was silent for a minute. Then, “Do you know what animal this is, Natasha?”</p>
<p>Steve saw a flash of red when a small sunbeam turned her ruby hair to fire as she moved. She studied Steve carefully. She seemed like a very intense little child. “No.”</p>
<p>“Come here, darling.” Bucky stood, taking a few steps back, and motioned for her to stand next to him. When she did, Steve took the opportunity to rise to his feet as well, his wings flaring out before settling again at his sides.</p>
<p>Bucky talked Natasha through what Steve was—naturally leaving out that Steve wasn’t actually a Hippogriff but a human in Animagus form. He went over how to act if she ever came across a Hippogriff again. He warned her about being polite and what to do if one ever reacted unfavorably toward her.</p>
<p>By the time Bucky was done teaching her, Natasha was giggling and petting the small feathers next to Steve’s beak.</p>
<p>Then Bucky broke the news that Natasha would have to go back to the castle. He and Steve both knew that all students were supposed to be in class at the moment. It was why they’d chosen to leave for town then instead of at another time. Everyone, even the staff, would be occupied.</p>
<p>Bucky held her hand as he walked Natasha back to the castle. Steve could hear him talking about the dangers of being all alone away from the castle when she didn’t know what creatures or beasts might be around and didn’t know how to protect herself yet.</p>
<p>As their voices faded, Steve settled in for a wait. Bucky would be back.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Steve foraged for insects to snack on. His eyesight and hearing weren’t the only things changed about him. Bugs were delicious when he was a Hippogriff.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 8</strong>
</p>
<p>They spent the week they had free in town.</p>
<p>They were in the Muggle library all day, every day, researching, making notes, and creating syllabi to follow for their four classes.</p>
<p>With some money—Muggle currency that they’d had exchanged from euros to dollars upon reaching the US—Bucky had local star maps printed out on large sheets of laminated paper. They didn’t move like wizard posters did, but that didn’t much matter. There was time later for fancy stuff. They weren’t even sure at the moment where the nearest wizarding town was and didn’t have time for a trip there even if they did.</p>
<p>For Steve’s part, he actually had fun looking up all the information he needed. A part of him was excited about teaching Muggle Studies because, in addition to teaching about their history, technology, and Muggles themselves, a portion of the class would be teaching their art and music.</p>
<p>He’d grown up drawing because he was sick a lot and couldn’t go out and play. He loved it and was good at it. He’d also read many books as a child on artists and the history of art that he’d gotten from the library. His mother had listened to all kinds of music, too. All Steve had to update himself on was music from the last fifteen years.</p>
<p>Over the course of the week, he and Bucky sat across from each other, legs tangled together and deep into their lists and notes and plans.</p>
<p>Steve hoped it would be a good year for them. They both could certainly use it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you don’t know, this is a Demiguise. <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Demiguise">https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Demiguise</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 9</strong>
</p>
<p>They had just landed back on the school grounds when they heard a noise behind them. Bucky had his wand out even as Steve whirled them around to face who- or whatever was there.</p>
<p>“Hullo, Bucky. Hullo, Steve,” Luna said calmly from beneath the shade of a pine tree. She sat on a blanket beside Peggy. The two had apparently been having a picnic in the woods. Steve wished he’d seen them. He would have chosen somewhere else to land if he had.</p>
<p>Then his brain realized what Luna had said.</p>
<p>“Steve?!” Peggy exclaimed at the same time Steve was trying not to panic. She looked back and forth between Luna and Bucky and the Hippogriff he sat on.</p>
<p>“Of course,” Luna said calmly, as if people turned into Hippogriffs every day.</p>
<p>Bucky slowly slid off Steve. “How do you figure?”</p>
<p>“Steve used to make the same expression in school when someone was being made fun of in his hearing. He stood the same way, too. Also, Hippogriffs aren’t usually the same color as his hair.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think an Animagus could be a magical creature.” Peggy sounded almost faint before she pulled herself together.</p>
<p>Knowing it was pointless to pretend that Luna was mistaken, Steve changed back. “It’s debated by witches and wizards as to whether it’s possible,” he said, “but I’ve never heard of anyone actually taking the form of one. We’ve looked.”</p>
<p>“But—but you’re not registered.”</p>
<p>Of course Peggy would know that, being the Transfiguration Professor and all.</p>
<p>“No, we’re not,” he agreed quietly. “For many reasons. The most recent being so that it’s harder for enemies like HYDRA to identify and capture us.” After a moment of careful consideration, Steve added, “We also don’t want to be studied. We would be the first registered cases of Animagi turning into magical creatures.”</p>
<p>“We?” Peggy asked. It was obvious that she wasn’t asking what he meant. It was, instead, a request to know what Bucky turned into.</p>
<p>Bucky looked uncertainly at Steve. He didn’t know if the two women could be trusted.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to show us,” Luna said, “or even tell us. If you wish to keep it a secret, we can respect that. It’s your secret to keep.”</p>
<p>“We can trust them not to reveal us to anyone,” Steve said softly, placing his hand on Bucky’s back and rubbing soothingly. He looked at the two witches to make sure and both Peggy and Luna silently agreed. “But it’s up to you if you want to tell them.”</p>
<p>Bucky leaned into his touch for a long moment before taking Steve’s hand and threading their fingers together. He led them toward the blanket where the women created space for them to sit.</p>
<p>Bucky took a careful breath. “I’m a Demiguise.” It came out as a near whisper.</p>
<p>Peggy’s brows rose in surprise but Luna just smiled. “Oh, I bet you’re beautiful.”</p>
<p>“He is,” Steve agreed. “He really is.” He leaned against his husband’s shoulder as Bucky looked shyly down. A small smile slipped onto his face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 10</strong>
</p><p>“Is it true you fought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?” a student asked.</p><p>Steve and Bucky were in their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The way the schedule lined up, they were currently standing in front of a group of third-year students.</p><p>Over the course of a week, they would rotate through nearly every student in the school. The only ones not taking their class would be those sixth- and seventh-years who didn’t need DADA for their preferred occupation after graduating or who didn’t get high enough O.W.L. scores to advance into N.E.W.T.-level classes.</p><p>But they were apparently addressing rumors before they started.</p><p>“We fought in the Battle of Hogwarts but didn’t actually face him,” Steve replied. “Harry Potter did. Every Professor here, as well as Healer Morita, fought in the battle.”</p><p>“Have you ever <em>met</em> Harry Potter?” a boy to the right called out.</p><p>“We went to school with him. But he was a couple years older than us so we were never in the same classes,” Steve answered.</p><p>A girl in the back—Steve really had to start learning everyone’s names—raised her hand and asked, “Are you with Professor Carter?”</p><p>“With?” he asked, a bit confused. Peggy obviously wasn’t in the room so…</p><p>“Dating,” she clarified. “Are you dating Professor Carter?”</p><p>At her question, Bucky, who’d peacefully let Steve answer all the questions on account of his memory, started cackling. All eyes turned to him and he struggled to get himself under control. “Is that because someone saw him hug her?” he asked gleefully. “Trust me. He hugs a lot of people.” He looked over at Steve, saw how red his face was, and turned away, laughing again.</p><p>Trying to limit his sheer embarrassment, Steve willed his blush to die and answered. “No. I am not with Professor Carter. We’re friends.”</p><p>“Are you?” another girl asked, looking at Bucky.</p><p>“No,” Bucky replied wiping at his damp eyes.</p><p>A few of the children sighed while others just stared red-faced down at their desks. Steve didn’t understand why but let it go.</p><p>Bucky finally calmed and made one last happy noise that told Steve he would be getting teased mercilessly about all this later. Then they got started with their first lesson.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 11</strong>
</p><p>Steve was nervous. He knew Bucky was, too, even if it didn’t really show.</p><p>They were about to enter Phillips’ office to see Araminta the Sorting Hat. Neither of them was ready but it was time. It had been two full weeks since she’d offered and Bucky had finally asked about seeing her.</p><p>Steve tried not to get his hopes up in case it didn’t work but it was hard. He wanted Bucky to feel whole again.</p><p>And, selfishly, he wanted his husband to really <em>know</em> him again. They were still married, still in love, but it just wasn’t the same. Bucky only remembered the past few months together instead of nearly twenty years of friendship turned relationship turned marriage.</p><p>Word had gotten around to their friends about Araminta’s offer and everyone was happy for them. Each of the Howlies had offered to be there with them, too. Each had offered support in whatever way they needed. But Bucky had wanted to do it alone, just him and Steve. Even Headmaster Phillips wouldn’t be there. As the Healer, Jim would be on standby outside the room, ready in case something happened, but everyone else would be at dinner in the Great Hall.</p><p>With one last look at his best friend and love of his life, Steve knocked on the door to Phillips’ office.</p><p>“Good, you’re here!” Phillips greeted in his gruff tone as he stood up from behind his desk. With anyone else, it would have sounded abrupt and condescending but, somehow, with Phillips, it didn’t. He managed to make it friendly but still authoritative. “She’s over there, waiting for you,” he pointed to an ornate cabinet with decorative glass-fronted doors on top.</p><p>Then he rounded his desk, stacked high with files and books, and headed for the door. “Don’t throw up on my carpet, Barnes,” he called. Moments later, he was gone.</p><p>Before either of them could say a word, a quiet knock sounded and Morita poked his head in. “Hey, Bucky. Steve.” Coming in a few steps, he asked the big question. “Are you ready?”</p><p>Steve watched Bucky who looked slightly pale. When he didn’t answer, Steve took hold of his hand and squeezed. “We’ll be alright.”</p><p>Jim looked like he really wanted to give Bucky a hug but was unsure if it would be welcome so he refrained. “Well, I’ll be right outside. Just holler if you need anything. Even if it’s to clean throw up out of the carpet,” he said with a cheeky grin.</p><p>That succeeded in making Bucky chuckle and Steve saw his shoulders relax a bit. He shot their friend a grateful look before Morita headed out to wait.</p><p>Alone again, Steve gathered Bucky into a tight hug. “No matter what happens,” he whispered, “I love you. Even if you never regain your memories, I love you. I always have and I always will. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”</p><p>Bucky made a curious noise that was half-laughter and half-confusion and buried his face in the side of Steve’s neck. “Lines have no ends, you nut.”</p><p>Steve just chuckled and tightened his arms around Bucky. “I know, jerk. You’re the one who taught me that.”</p><p>Bucky relaxed completely in Steve’s arms at that. “Punk,” he whispered.</p><p>Steve’s heart melted at the lifelong endearment. His hope for Buck’s memories rose just a little bit more.</p><p>“I love you, too,” Bucky whispered. “You’re so easy to love, Steve. I’m glad I married you, even if I never remember it.”</p><p>“We’ll get married again if it turns out that you’ll never remember.”</p><p>After five minutes of soaking in each other’s strength and love, they let go and headed for the Sorting Hat.</p><p>Taking deep, even breaths, Bucky reached out and placed the hat on his head.</p><p>Steve watched on curiously. Aside from hiding his blush, he hadn’t given any thought to what he’d looked like conversing silently with Araminta the night of the Sorting Ceremony.</p><p>A gamut of expressions ran across Bucky’s face. Slowly, the tension in his body melted. He began looking around the room. His eyes lit on the sitting area in the corner and he took Steve’s hand to lead them over. Nothing much seemed to happen after that. Expressions continued to come and go but there was silence in the room. Steve settled in to watch and to wait.</p><p>He could honestly watch Bucky forever.</p><p>Sometimes he felt like he <em>had</em> been watching his best friend forever. He’d certainly been in love with him for long enough before they’d gotten together.</p><p>Steve had been so scared that he would ruin their friendship by admitting his feelings that he’d found reason after reason to put it off, to stay silent. He hadn’t told Bucky how he felt until they’d graduated Hogwarts and Steve had felt like he was losing a part of his soul.</p><p>Bucky’s face had lit up, bright as the sun, when Steve had told him. He’d been so happy that he’d grabbed Steve, bent him backwards, and kissed the daylights out of him. It had been like a picture his mother had once showed him of a man kissing a random woman on the street after the Muggles’ World War 2 was declared over.</p><p>Steve would’ve been embarrassed if he’d been able to think at all afterwards. Before he could come to his senses, Bucky was telling him how much he loved him, too, and why didn’t they stick together ‘til the end of the line.</p><p>Like a train? Steve had asked.</p><p>No. Like a <em>line</em>, punk. Because lines don’t end.</p><p>Bucky suddenly let out a giddy laugh that broke Steve out of his thoughts of the past. “Come here, you.” Bucky kissed Steve on the lips. “She wants to talk to you.” He unceremoniously plonked the Sorting Hat on Steve’s head and sat back with a smile.</p><p><em>Hello, Steve</em>, she greeted warmly.</p><p>
  <em>Good evening, Araminta. How are you? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m doing well, thank you. Happy to be of use. Your Headmaster and I have had several chats since you and I last spoke. I haven’t been this content in a millennium. I thank you for that. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But I haven’t done anything. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You did. Oh, but you did. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>How? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love, child.</em>
</p><p>That didn’t make any sense. What did love have to do with it? Yes, he loved Bucky. He always would. But he didn’t see how that had anything to do with Araminta.</p><p>
  <em>Love is the most powerful of magics. No one knew I even existed until your love called out to me. </em>
</p><p>She was silent for a long minute and Steve didn’t know what to say.</p><p>This enchanted hat was so much more than something created by talented witches and wizards. She was alive in ways that Steve had never known something enchanted to be—<em>could</em> be. She wasn’t human, but she wasn’t just an object either. And she was <em>good</em>.</p><p><em>Do you remember</em>, she asked suddenly, <em>how a Gryffindor can pull Godric’s sword from the Sorting Hat—from my brother—in times of great need?</em> She didn’t wait for an answer, obviously knowing that he did. <em>The same magic in my brother allowed me to appear when </em>I<em> was needed. </em></p><p>
  <em>When the four Founders made me, they did not truly know what they had created. When I would not consent be modified, three of them wanted to destroy me. ‘What good was I,’ they said, ‘if I would not talk, could not work?’ But Helga Hufflepuff stood for me and said that she would keep me. As the years passed and tensions grew, she hid me to keep me safe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When later asked, she told them that they were right. I was of no use and never would be so she destroyed me. They were satisfied with her word and forgot all about me. Not even my brother knew of my existence. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Before she died, though, Helga laid one final spell upon me, one that carried the touch of her loyalty and kindness, her heart, her love, and her great skill. If anyone were in need of me, if ever I felt that I could help, I would appear to one who could get me where I needed to be. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Minerva McGonagall is a beautiful witch and a kind woman. She had been looking for the two of you but had had no luck. Not until I appeared before her. I was the one to find you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your love shines bright, little one. A golden beacon lighting up the dark. And, even with your Bucky’s memories forgotten, so does his. </em>
</p><p><em>I am here because of you. I am useful because of you. I am </em>found<em> because of you. Thank you.</em></p><p>Steve didn’t realize that he’d started crying until Bucky knelt on the floor in front of him, wiping at his tear tracks. He looked so worried.</p><p>Steve took a shaky breath and placed a hand on Bucky’s cheek. “I’m okay,” he reassured quietly. “They’re not bad tears.”</p><p>Seeming to only partially believe him, Bucky stood and slid into Steve’s lap, laying his head on Steve’s shoulder. On a long, tired sigh, he closed his eyes.</p><p>They each soaked in the comfort of the others’ presence.</p><p><em>I’ll need Bucky back in one week</em>, Araminta told Steve after a few minutes of silence.<em> I can help him, but it will take time. If I unlock all his memories at once, bring them all rushing back, it could damage him irreparably. For now he needs rest, care, and love. </em></p><p><em>Thank you</em>, Steve whispered.<em> So much.</em> More tears slid down his face but he didn’t care. He didn’t bother to wipe them away. He had his best friend and husband in his arms and he was going to be okay.</p><p>
  <em>Goodbye for now, Steve Rogers.</em>
</p><p>Steve said goodbye then carefully slid his wand out. He floated Araminta back to her place in the ornate cupboard without waking Bucky. Another wave silently opened the office door.</p><p>Steve picked up his peacefully sleeping husband and walked out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 12</strong>
</p><p>With each session with Araminta, Bucky became a little closer to who he had been. With each week that went by, Bucky smiled more. He laughed together with the other Howlies, remembering their antics, the mischief they’d gotten up to growing up. He expressed regret when he remembered how Luna had been treated by other students when they were kids. He laughed with Peggy about all the things that had blown up in Howard Stark’s face as he tried to come up with his own tricks, spells, charms, and potions.</p><p>“It feels like…” Bucky paused to think. “It feels like I was an empty bottle and I’m slowly being filled with everything that makes me…me. It was there but I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t see it or feel it or touch it. It’s like I’m going from being a thing to a person.”</p><p>Steve had cried at that. He hadn’t known that Bucky had felt that way, that he hadn’t felt <em>human</em>. Bucky noticed Steve start to blame himself because of it. With a few smart words, he stopped that in its tracks.</p><p>“It’s not your fault, punk. If anything, you <em>saved</em> me. You brought me out of it. You stuck by my side. You continued to love me when I couldn’t find anything in myself to love. You brought me <em>here</em>. In good times and bad, huh?”</p><p>Steve looked up at that. “You remembered?”</p><p>“Yeah, love. This morning.”</p><p>With each passing week, with each restored memory, Bucky became lighter.</p><p>“I think I almost have it all,” Bucky whispered one night. They were lying in bed. All the lights were out. It was late and the moon was hidden in a sky dark with clouds. It was nearly pitch black in their room. “I think we’re almost done.”</p><p>“Are you happy?”</p><p>Bucky was silent for a long time.</p><p>Steve eventually felt him shift in his arms. Something pointy—Bucky’s chin—rested on his chest and there was the barest gleam of eyes from the little light that reached them.</p><p>“Yeah, I am. I would’ve been fine if I’d never gotten any memories back—we would’ve made new ones—but I’m better with them. I feel nearly whole again. And I have you. With or without my memories, as long as I have you, I think I’ll be alright. With or without my memories,” he whispered, shifting up to give a gentle kiss, “I’ll always love you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So sorry this took so long. Things have been hectic lately.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 13</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>This is the last time. After today, your Bucky will have all his memories.</em>
</p><p>Steve was filled with happiness and a relief so profound he almost cried. He hoped Araminta knew that it was because Bucky would be healed, not because…well, he didn’t know. But he didn’t want to insult her or make her think he was ungrateful for helping them.</p><p><em>Never</em>, she answered.</p><p>
  <em>Thank you for everything you’ve done. It can’t have been easy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It wasn’t. But you have given me something precious in return: a way to help. Headmaster Phillips has been in contact with Headmaster McGonagall. I will still be the Sorting Hat for this new Hogwarts, but when I am not needed here, trusted witches and wizards will bring me to people so I can attempt to help. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I am told there is a pair, a husband and wife, permanently in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. They were tortured to insanity years ago. I wish to see if there is anything I can do for them.</em>
</p><p>It rang a distant bell in Steve’s mind and he realized who she must be talking about. <em>Yes. We know their son. Not well, but enough to know that he’s a good man.</em></p><p>There was a comfortable silence between them until Araminta said, <em>I hope you’ll come visit me sometimes. The both of you. You are good men, too. And it’s nice to have company.</em></p><p>Steve smiled. <em>You’re our friend. Even if we don’t teach here again, we’ll find time to come visit. </em></p><p>
  <em>The both of you make very good Hufflepuffs. My brother was right to Sort you as he did.</em>
</p><p>After fond farewells, Steve passed the hat for Bucky to begin his final session.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I added more than one chapter today so be sure you don't skip any.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 14</strong>
</p><p>They had a little campfire going outside. Everybody in the school was at dinner, but Steve and Bucky hadn’t felt like attending. Nothing said that they <em>had</em> to so, instead, they sat under the twinkling stars and bright moon. There was a cool breeze blowing gently and all was quiet. It was prefect.</p><p>Bucky was on his back with his head in Steve’s lap and Steve absently played with the dark strands of hair while he sat watched the dancing fire. It was calm and relaxing. Bucky had his memories back, their classes—both together and separate—were going well, and it was a beautiful autumn night.</p><p>But after a while, their calm silence was shattered. A twig snapped off to their right. In an instant, they were both on their feet and had their wands out, ready for whatever. They’d been in too many duels, too many life-or-death situations, to ignore a sound like that.</p><p>At the sight of their wands, whoever it was gasped.</p><p>“Come out where we can see you,” Bucky commanded.</p><p>A little girl stepped out of the shadows. A little redheaded girl.</p><p>Steve and Bucky both relaxed and lowered their wands. “Natasha.”</p><p>“What are you doing out here, Tasha, darling? Aren’t you supposed to be at dinner?” Bucky asked.</p><p>Natasha’s eyes glimmered in the firelight as they filled with tears. Her face set into lines of anger and hurt. “I don’t want to sit with them.”</p><p>“Are your classmates still being mean to you?”</p><p>“They won’t stop calling me names. I don’t <em>know</em> if I’m a Mudblood or not.”</p><p>“Don’t use that word,” Bucky barked. Natasha flinched and retreated a step. Gentling his voice so it wasn’t so harsh, he repeated, “Don’t use that word. It’s not a nice word. The term is Muggleborn. Or No-Maj-born in America? I don’t know, but only assholes use Mudblood.”</p><p>“Buck…”</p><p>“No, Steve. If she’s old enough to use the term Mudblood, she’s old enough to hear the word asshole.”</p><p>Steve only sighed at his husband and sat. “Would you like to sit out here with us?” he asked Natasha. At her tentative nod, he patted the ground beside him. Bucky waited just long enough for her to sit before he stretched out in his original position, his head on Steve’s lap.</p><p>The girl watched as Steve started carding his fingers through Bucky’s hair once again. But Steve paid her no mind. It was still a nice night, even if their quiet time had been interrupted.</p><p>“Are you—” Natasha’s face darkened with a blush and she hastily looked away.</p><p>Watching the firelight dance over her profile, Steve waited for her blush to soften. “Are we what?”</p><p>“It’s personal,” she mumbled to the ground.</p><p>“You can ask.” Bucky’s voice sounded sleepy and content. It was a wonder that Bucky’s Animagus wasn’t a cat with how much he liked to lie around lazily and be petted.</p><p>“Are you two…together?”</p><p>“Married,” Bucky mumbled.</p><p>“Coming up on six years now,” Steve added with a fond look at Bucky.</p><p>Natasha’s face slowly transformed with a wide grin and she started giggling softly.</p><p>“What?” Her reaction was not one Steve had expected. It made him curious—and a bit confused.</p><p>“You’re married. To each other.” Her giggles quickly grew into full-on belly laughs.</p><p>It lasted long enough that Bucky blinked his eyes open and twisted to stare at her. “Why is that so funny?”</p><p>“Be—Because!” she hiccupped. “Nearly every girl has a crush on one or both of you. And probably half the boys, too. And you’re married! <em>To each other</em>!”</p><p>Her laughter was contagious and Steve couldn’t help but join in.</p><p>Bucky started laughing, too. But it was apparently for a different reason.</p><p>“They were fishing! Merlin’s ghost. They were fishing when they asked if either of us was with Peg!” Bucky flopped back to his position the ground, his head landing almost painfully hard on Steve’s leg. He was holding his stomach he was laughing so hard.</p><p>Steve grinned down at his husband, seeing the humor of it all.</p><p>“I’m not going to tell <em>anybody</em>,” Natasha whispered gleefully to herself when she caught her breath. “I’m going to watch the dawning horror as they all slowly realize their crushes never stood a chance.”</p><p>Ah. And there was the Slytherin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I added more than one chapter today so be sure you don't skip any.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 15</strong>
</p>
<p>The winter holidays came and went. Bucky and Steve stayed at the school along with the few who didn’t want to go home. But they mostly weren’t in charge of anyone, which was a blessing.</p>
<p>With no classes to teach, they spent a few days finalizing their lesson plans for the rest of the school year and then spent as much time relaxing or exploring the castle and grounds as they could.</p>
<p>They also went on frequent flights, both of them in their Animagus form. Bucky always stayed invisible. There would be fewer questions if someone were to notice a golden Hippogriff than if someone were to see a Demiguise <em>riding</em> a golden Hippogriff.</p>
<p>They always kept an eye out for trouble whenever they were out. They never found any, but they weren’t willing to give up the habit. After years of being on guard for any attacks, it was second nature. They hadn’t decided what they would be doing after the school year was up but their enemies wouldn’t just stop being their enemies because time had passed.</p>
<p>One frequent visitor they had was Natasha. She would pop up, whether they were out taking a stroll or exploring or quietly spending time in the library. They let her, unable to say no when she was still having a rough time of it with her Slytherin classmates.</p>
<p>Anyway, Steve and Bucky were quite fond of her.</p>
<p>They talked about her situation with Peggy. As the Head of House, she was around the Slytherin kids the most.</p>
<p>As the old year ended and the new one began, things seemed to get better for little Tasha. She still hadn’t made any friends, but most of her classmates had stopped teasing her. There were only a few kids that really kept at it. After Steve and Bucky had brought it up as a concern, every professor became more on the lookout for <em>any</em> bullying. When house points started rapidly declining because of it, students sat up and took notice.</p>
<p>By mid-March, all the kids—not just Natasha—were happier and it was a better environment all around.</p>
<p>But Natasha still hadn’t made friends.</p>
<p>“You know,” Steve ventured one day when Tasha dropped in on another walk. “You can be friends with more than just Slytherins.”</p>
<p>Natasha gave him a curious little head tilt, like she didn’t understand.</p>
<p>“When we were in school,” Steve added, “our friends were made up of kids from all four Houses.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Bucky agreed. “We’re both Hufflepuffs and we made friends with another Hufflepuff, two Slytherins, two Gryffindors, and three Ravenclaws.”</p>
<p>“Just because you’re a Slytherin,” Steve said, “doesn’t mean you're only allowed to be friends with other Slytherins. You can be friends with anyone you like. Even someone from another House.”</p>
<p>Tasha’s eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a surprised little ‘oh.’ “You mean, I can be friends with that Hufflepuff boy who always climbs up into the rafters?”</p>
<p>“Of course you can,” Steve agreed.</p>
<p>In his ear, Bucky whispered, “There’s a kid who climbs into the rafters?”</p>
<p>Steve shrugged, just as bewildered. They were going to have to start looking up more if they’d missed something like that for so long, especially considering how often they roamed the castle and school grounds.</p>
<p>Natasha walked quietly beside them for a little while longer before she wandered away, deep in thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 16</strong>
</p><p>Weeks passed and the spring holiday came and went.</p><p>Peggy had expressed an interest in flying with Steve and Bucky after finding out about Steve’s Animagus but none of them had found a time free of duties when there were classes to teach, assignments to grade, and children to herd.</p><p>They’d agreed to do it the day after she came back from England, where she’d spent the holidays with her extended family. The three had planed to meet late-morning but Peggy had been called to a meeting in Phillips’ office. They were going to wait for her in the forest.</p><p>Partway there, Bucky realized he forgot his wallet and ran back to get it. Steve went on ahead.</p><p>He’d just reached the clearing where they’d agreed to meet when he heard terrified screams. <em>Children’s</em> terrified screams.</p><p>He didn’t even pause to think. He just took off running.</p><p>When he’d almost made it to a large clearing, he took in the situation. He saw about thirty students—first- and second-years—trapped and faced with what was more than a dozen forest trolls.</p><p>The trolls were large, angry, and drawing nearer to the terrified children. Some of the kids appeared hurt already.</p><p>In less than a second, he made a decision.</p><p>He could fight as a wizard with his wand—one man against many pissed off trolls—or he could fight as a Hippogriff where he was bigger, physically stronger, and had his wingspan and larger lungs. He could try to block the children from view and make the trolls back off, or at least hesitate. If it were just him in the clearing, he’d stay human, use his wand and swift maneuverability. But the children won out. Bigger, stronger, and louder it was.</p><p>Before he’d even hit the tree line, he’d transformed. His hoofbeats were loud as he raced to position himself between the kids and the trolls. Giving an earsplitting screaming-squawk that cut through the air, he flared his wings as wide as they would go. Flapping a few times, he reared back on his hind legs, screaming again.</p><p>Near the edge of the clearing, Steve heard a sound. Worried about more trolls trying to sneak up on them, he chanced a quick glance. He didn’t want to look away for too long, though. Trolls were stupid, yes, but even <em>they</em> were bound to notice if he got distracted.</p><p>Luckily, it was just Bucky. Faced with over a dozen forest trolls and thirty terrified students, he’d forgotten his husband was right behind him.</p><p>Now with some backup, Steve focused on the ones on his left, leaving the ones on the right for Bucky.</p><p>He charged a trio of ugly beasts that were getting too close and reared up once again. He kicked out with his front legs, clawing at them with his talons, and then swiftly retreated before they could swing and hit him with their bone-clubs. He turned in place before lashing out at another one. His hooves hit it hard in its large green gut, doubling the ugly beast over.</p><p>The second his kick landed, Steve dashed away. His best bet would be sneak attacks and quick maneuvers. He and Bucky had to keep an eye on the children, too.</p><p>When he galloped away, he went to the side, hoping to distract the angry trolls and lead them away. It worked for about half of them. Taking flight, he circled the clearing. Flying low, he swooped around a pair that had started heading for the children again.</p><p>Steve gave another piercing squawk and clawed at one troll’s eyes. Then he turned on a wing to get out of the way in case one decided to swing their bludgeon. As he passed, his back legs accidentally connected with the troll’s bony head.</p><p>It <em>hurt</em>. He resolved to be more careful and to never do that again. Ever. He landed but quickly slowed to a trot. The pasterns and cannon bones on both of his hind legs throbbed, spikes of pain flaring up his legs with every step. Steve hoped he hadn’t broken anything.</p><p>But there were still children to protect so he pushed the pain aside.</p><p>A spell suddenly flew past his head, narrowly missing him and he turned to see Peggy emerge from the trees, quickly followed by Morita, Dernier, and Luna. Jim and French headed straight for the students while the women and Bucky headed for him.</p><p>“Steve,” Peggy said urgently. “Steve, you have to leave. Go! The Minister for Magic is on his way. He’s right behind us; you have to go now!” She tried pushing at his neck, then at his side, but Steve refused to budge. There was a reason his Animagus was a Hippogriff. He could be a stubborn ass when he wanted. And the kids were still in danger. He wasn’t leaving when he could help.</p><p>Steve saw two of the trolls drawing near the children, unnoticed by any of the others. Abandoning Bucky, Peggy, and Luna he charged. He let loose a loud and angry squawk, spun in place, let fly a brutal back kick before he took off again.</p><p>That made his hind legs hurt even more and, because of it, he wasn’t quick enough. He was hit by a spiked club the second troll swung wildly at him. The pain in his legs was instantly forgotten. The club just barely missed his wing but scraped viciously along his left flank, ripping out fur and flesh and feathers. He couldn't help the piercing scream of agony.</p><p>Forcing himself up from where he’d tumbled, Steve saw Bucky, Peggy, and Luna—and <em>Harry Potter</em>, who’d apparently arrived to help—shooting spell after spell at the forest trolls. Strangely, nothing seemed to be very effective. The magic was barely giving the trolls pause. It just seemed to roll right off them.</p><p>It was then that Steve heard the rumbling. He knew that sound. Intimately. Hooves.</p><p>Eight Hippogriffs—real Hippogriffs—galloped into the clearing. They congregated around Steve, seeming to take their cue from him.</p><p>He couldn’t actually <em>talk</em> to other animals while in Animagus form, but there was some rudimentary communication. They would do what he wanted. They would follow him. They would help.</p><p>One quick look told him that Jim and Dernier had gotten all the kids away. So Steve ignored his painful injuries and charged the forest trolls. The herd followed, loud and angry.</p><p>It turned the tide. With almost none of the normal spells used in subduing trolls having an effect, it was down to muscle. Four humans couldn’t out-hit or overpower more than a dozen forest trolls. So the eight Hippogriffs and Steve ran, twisted, turned, reared, kicked, scratched, screamed, and flared their wings wide. One took flight and flew around the trolls’ heads, distracting them and clawing at their eyes and faces when she could.</p><p>It all was extremely loud and messy.</p><p>Eventually, Bucky got lucky and one of his spells actually worked. Not on the trolls themselves, but on their clubs. Shouting to the others, they got back in the fight.</p><p>It wasn’t too long before the beasts were subdued, lying unconscious on the ground.</p><p>“How on Earth did <em>trolls</em> get here?” Peggy asked, aghast. It was a pretty good distraction for what it was. Luna and Potter looked between her and the forest trolls, obviously wondering the same. “How did they even get into America?” Peg continued. “America doesn’t have trolls, and certainly not here. There are…there’s <em>sixteen</em> of them!” She gasped after a quick count. “What in the…”</p><p>While Peg talked, the other Hippogriffs surrounded Steve, putting him in the middle of their herd and gently leading him away. At least he was the only one hurt. He would’ve felt bad otherwise. They’d come to help him, after all.</p><p>When the herd stopped, Steve eased himself carefully, painfully, to the ground. A few Hippogriffs settled down beside him while others appeared to be standing guard.</p><p>He turned to survey the damage. His side hurt immensely. It was bleeding liberally and, when he looked, there was a trail of blood showing the direction he’d come from.</p><p>A sound drew Steve’s attention away from his ruined side. All nine Hippogriffs turned to see. Bucky stepped into view. He carefully moved forward. When he was as close as he dared get, he bowed deeply and waited.</p><p>Doing his best to communicate to the herd that his husband was welcome, Steve bowed in return and rumbled quietly in encouragement.</p><p>Bucky didn’t budge an inch. Watching the herd carefully, he waited until all Hippogriffs had returned his bow. After he finally stood upright, he slowly started forwards.</p><p>Steve chirped a weak greeting as Bucky reached out to touch Steve’s face. Moving slowly, Bucky stroked along Steve’s feathers and down his neck until he reached his flank. Steve made sharp, pained sound and the herd started rumbling in agitation.</p><p>Bucky began talking quiet and soothingly. He calmly told them that he didn’t mean any harm and that he only wanted to help, to heal. Either the words or his tone settled the tension enough that, when Bucky pulled out his wand, a few shifted but, otherwise, didn’t move.</p><p>Bucky slowly healed Steve, casting spells to stop the bleeding, restore the muscle, and knit the skin back together. It wasn’t perfect; it was emergency-field-magic they’d learned over the years. Steve would definitely need to see Jim soon if he wanted to be healed fully.</p><p>The healing itched and it was annoying, an irritating pain that both prickled and crawled under his skin, fur, and feathers. Steve rumbled his discomfort. One of the Hippogriffs lying next to him, the bronze female who’d helped from the air, started grooming Steve’s feathers. It was just as comforting as his husband’s quiet words.</p><p>“I know. I’m sorry. You’ll feel better soon.” Bucky still used that same calm, gentle tone. Steve wasn’t sure, anymore, if it was for the Hippogriffs' benefit or his own. Regardless, it was working. “I’m almost finished,” Bucky added.</p><p>He resumed stroking Steve, his fingers carefully trailing over his feathers then down to his back and both flanks. Finding nothing else damaged, he moved on to Steve’s hind legs. There was some blood there that wasn’t from his previously bleeding side. And now that his side didn’t bother him as much, Steve began to feel the pain in his legs much more intensely.</p><p>Again, when Bucky reached the painful area, Steve made a sound. He couldn’t help it. He might’ve actually broken something. He’d hoped he hadn’t hit the troll that hard. It had hurt, sure, but he’d still run. He’d still fought.</p><p>The bronze female moved on to grooming a different area of his feathers, making crooning chirrups at him. Using his wand again, Bucky went to work fixing Steve’s legs.</p><p>Steve was glad that, ever since they’d become Animagi, he and Buck had made it a point to know the anatomy of both Hippogriffs and Demiguises. It certainly came in handy now.</p><p>When Bucky was done, Steve felt a lot better. It wasn’t perfect but it would do for now. He gave a chirruping-purr to the Hippogriff that groomed him and those who stood guard. Then turned and nudged Bucky’s shoulder with his beak.</p><p>Bucky was pushed to sitting on the ground and gave an amused huff. But it was short-lived. He glanced over his shoulder then whispered, “I think we’re going to Azkaban, love.” Releasing a quiet breath, he pressed his forehead against Steve’s soft cheek. “And I don’t think they’ll be so kind as to let us share a cell.”</p><p>At his words, Steve finally noticed the small audience that had gathered a good thirty feet away. Peggy looked deeply upset and Luna worried. Beside them stood Harry Potter.</p><p>Peg had said the Minister for Magic was coming to help and Potter was the one who had showed up. Last Steve had heard, Harry Potter was an Auror. Actually, Steve was pretty sure he was the Head of the Auror Office. Except, that seemed to have changed. Apparently he was the Minister of Magic now.</p><p>Regardless of Potter’s status, Bucky was right. They probably were going to jail. Steve made a small trill, trying to give comfort but only managing to express his worry. He’d thought the chances were better for HYDRA discovering them than of the Ministry of Magic finding out. Turned out he was wrong.</p><p>Tired from the fight and blood loss, Steve slowly stood.</p><p>Bucky went around to the Hippogriffs surrounding them, paying his respects. He bowed to each and every one of them and, once they bowed back, petted them and whispered his thanks for helping with the giants and for helping Steve.</p><p>When Bucky was through and Steve made his own sounds of thanks, they made their way out while the herd walked away. Steve and Bucky headed for Peggy, Luna, and Potter.</p><p>But Steve only made it a couple of steps when he heard a small sound.</p><p>Stopping in his tracks, he looked around. Tilting his head this way and that, he tried to locate the noise. After a few moments, he carefully headed towards some thick underbrush at the base of a small copse of trees. It was pretty far away from where the herd had stopped. That must by why whoever was hiding hadn’t been discovered until now.</p><p>When Steve got close enough, he recognized the distinctive smell of a friend, of Tasha. He gave a little rumbling-chirrup and poked his head in, trusting Bucky to guard his back.</p><p>Natasha lifted her head. He could tell she recognized him as the Hippogriff she’d met before when her eyes widened. She looked…pained. No, she looked like she was <em>in</em> pain. But she still bowed as much as she could manage while curled up as she sometimes sat.</p><p>Steve made another rumble-chirp sound, half-bowing back. Tasha carefully reached her left arm across her body to awkwardly pet his feathers. Looking her over, Steve realized that her right arm was hurt, quite possibly broken.</p><p>Making encouraging sounds to try to convince her to come out, he gently nudged her fall of hair with his beak and then huffed air from his nostrils at her, careful not to actually bump her. She slowly got up, wrapped her left arm around his neck, and followed. There was definitely something wrong with her right arm. She held it too still.</p><p>The instant she caught sight of Bucky, she let go and aimed for him. Steve watched proudly as Bucky instinctively crouched and caught her. She slumped against him with her face buried in his neck and her back curved to make space for her injured arm.</p><p>Tiny as she still was, Bucky easily picked her up. He talked quietly but Steve was close enough and had good enough hearing that he could hear every word. Tasha was crying and Bucky was trying to soothe her.</p><p>“You’re okay. You’ll be alright. We’ll have Healer Morita fix you up in no time and you won’t hurt anymore.” He’d obviously noticed her arm just as Steve had. And, knowing Natasha’s quick, analytical mind, he used logic and facts to reassure her. “We’re all okay. There were some other students hurt, but Morita is very good at what he does. I’d bet they’re already good as new or soon will be.”</p><p>Bucky rubbed his hand up and down her back and swayed back and forth. He’d always been good with children. Steve wasn’t so bad himself, but, having a little sister, Bucky had always been better.</p><p>“I’m sorry you got hurt. There weren’t supposed to be any trolls here. The Headmaster and Professors are going to figure out why they were here and where they came from.” With every word Bucky spoke, Tasha relaxed. Soon her shoulders relaxed and she settled more comfortably against him.</p><p>Bucky huffed out a laugh. “How about we go see if Professor Lovegood will take you to see Healer Morita, yeah?” He started towards Peggy, Luna, and Potter.</p><p>Steve followed. He wasn’t in any hurry to be taken to jail, but running away wasn’t something he was willing to do.</p><p>“No,” Tasha protested quietly. “I want you and Professor Rogers to take me.”</p><p>Steve could only see Bucky’s back, not his expression, but he could tell Bucky was just as surprised as Steve was. Bucky suddenly jolted to a stop and looked down at her. “How—”</p><p>But there was no time to form an actual question, much less get an answer. Potter strode purposefully towards them. He was followed by a worried Peggy and Luna. Every adult there knew what happened to unregistered Animagi when they were discovered.</p><p>“Who are you?” Natasha asked boldly as Potter stepped up to them. She glared from her spot firmly—stubbornly—planted against Bucky shoulder.</p><p>If Steve had looked human right then, he’d be struggling to hold back a smile. As it was, he prevented an amused rumble from sounding. He noticed Bucky subtly shift so that the lower half of his face was hidden by Tasha’s hair.</p><p>“My name is Harry Potter. I’m the Minister for Magic for the British Ministry of Magic.”</p><p>“Well, what do you want?” she demanded accusingly. “Why are you here? No one’s done—”</p><p>“Natasha Romanov,” Bucky chastised. “That’s no way to speak to anyone, much less to the Head of the Ministry.” Tasha ducked her head. “Apologize, please.”</p><p>She mumbled out a sheepish, if grudging, apology.</p><p>Bucky squatted down, setting her on her feet, and asked Luna to take her to get her arm fixed in the infirmary. Natasha didn’t want to go but Bucky reasoned with her.</p><p>“You need to get your arm healed and we,” he indicated Peg and Potter, knowing better than to outright <em>admit</em> in front of the Minister that the Hippogriff was Steve, even if it was pretty obvious, “need to talk. I said everyone was going to find out where the trolls came from, right?”</p><p>She nodded reluctantly.</p><p>“So you’re going to…” Bucky started, leaving the sentence open for her to finish.</p><p>“…go get healed.” Her shoulders slumped. She sounded so defeated.</p><p>“Good girl.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Now go along with Professor Lovegood. She’ll see you taken good care of.”</p><p>Tasha hugged Bucky in thanks and then turned and hugged Steve, too. Proving just how smart she was, she whispered tiny, almost inaudible good lucks to both of them before allowing Luna to lead her away.</p><p>There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Then Potter cleared his throat. “I think we’d better talk in the Headmaster’s office, don’t you?” He addressed both Bucky <em>and</em> Steve, proving he knew very well that Steve wasn’t actually a Hippogriff. “More privacy, less spell-resistant trolls. Also, there are people coming from the Magical Congress to collect the trolls and try to figure out why and how they’re here.”</p><p>That was just great. Exactly what they needed. The American version of the Ministry of Magic, MACUSA, snooping around. Not that it would matter if they were sentenced to time in Azkaban. But it was the little things.</p><p>Potter turned away and started for the castle. He walked with the confidence of someone expecting to be followed without question.</p><p>It rankled but they did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In case you don’t feel like looking it up for such a tiny mention, D.A. stands for Dumbledore’s Army. It was a class Harry Potter secretly taught his fellow students during his 5<sup>th</sup> year so they could learn Defense Against the Dark Arts even though their teacher, Dolores Umbridge, was utterly useless and didn’t want them using magic at all, much less for fighting.</p><p>Also, Prefects (6 for each house) are older students—5<sup>th</sup>, 6<sup>th</sup>, and 7<sup>th</sup> years—that help with the kids. <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Prefect">https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Prefect</a></p><p>And Aurors are magical police.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 17</strong>
</p><p>Steve and Bucky were alone with Harry Potter in the Headmaster’s office. As tired and sore as he was, Steve still managed to find the wherewithal to be grateful that no one was around nor were there any portraits on the walls. No one would witness what was about to happen.</p><p>All the students were either in the Great Hall or the infirmary. And, with the exception of the two of them and Peggy, the entire staff was working with the Hogwarts Prefects to keep order and to make sure everybody was accounted for. Peggy had stayed behind in the forest to make sure none of the trolls woke up. And she would deal with MACUSA when they arrived.</p><p>On the way back to the castle, Potter had made it eminently clear, <em>again</em>, that he knew Steve was an Animagus when he’d told Steve point-blank to change back.</p><p>Steve had walked—limped, really—out of the forest on two very human legs.</p><p>Once the three sat down in the otherwise empty Headmaster’s office, Potter asked, “So, how are your families, Rogers? Barnes?”</p><p>“My mother’s dead,” Steve said coolly. He did his best to keep his temper at the jab to an old but still painful wound. “Same as she has been for more than fifteen years.” She’d died when Steve had been a third-year at Hogwarts.</p><p>Steve had never really talked with Potter when they’d gone to school together, but he didn’t remember him being so…tactless, petty.</p><p>“And mine all died when HYDRA made me murder my parents, sister, her wife, and their three kids.” Steve didn’t have to look at his husband to know that Bucky had shot right past annoyed and was well into pissed. “Are we done with the pleasantries now?” Bucky demanded.</p><p>Potter opened his mouth but not much came out. “I’m sorry,” he eventually said. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—” He stopped himself as he was faced with two very unhappy men. Bucky folded his arms over his chest and gave his best murder-scowl. Potter sighed, obviously knowing there was nothing he could say to make it better. “You know why we’re here,” he said instead.</p><p>Bucky and Steve might be headed for Azkaban, but they weren’t going to make it easy. They certainly weren’t going to just admit to something as illegal as being unregistered Animagi—even if it had been proven in Steve’s case.</p><p>“Nope,” Steve answered, purposefully popping the ‘p’ obnoxiously the way quite a few of their students did.</p><p>“Neither Steve nor I can read minds or tell the future,” Bucky added a bit snidely.</p><p>“No? No guesses?” Potter tried again, albeit a little weakly.</p><p>“Oh, we’ve got plenty of guesses.” Steve said, using the same subtly-mocking tone he’d used to say no. If they were going down, they might as well do so spectacularly. He and Bucky started up a rapid back and forth.</p><p>“For going after and killing the Red Skull?”</p><p>“For killing my family?”</p><p>“Or for nearly killing each other?”</p><p>“How about for working for HYDRA, Imperiused or not?”</p><p>“For killing Pierce?”</p><p>“For nearly killing Rumlow—”</p><p>“—and Rollins—”</p><p>“—and Ward—”</p><p>“—and Garrett—”</p><p>“—and other nameless HYDRA scum?”</p><p>“Or being off the grid for months?”</p><p>“That’s ‘Muggle’ for ‘being in hiding,’ by the way,” Bucky added sarcastically as an aside to Potter.</p><p>“Oh! How about when you threatened McGonagall?”</p><p>“Hey! That doesn’t count!” Bucky protested, leaning towards Steve from his seat. “I didn’t know who she was! Just that she’d found us when no one should have! And anyway, I only held my wand on her! It’s not like I actually <em>did</em> anything!”</p><p>Steve made a “Pfft” sound and waved his hand like it was all just semantics. Then they both turned back to the Minister.</p><p>Potter looked nonplussed. He switched his gaze back and forth between the two of them.</p><p>“Were none of those right?” Steve asked, affecting an innocent, mildly disappointed tone. “We could maybe think up some more.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s going to be much harder. I’m out of ideas,” Bucky said.</p><p>“How about to see how the school year is going, being the first year and all?” Steve asked with a shrug.</p><p>“Ooh, that’s a good one. I like that one.” Bucky turned back to Potter. “Is that why you’re here, Minister?” The question was mockingly formal.</p><p>The man just sighed. “You two haven’t changed one bit.” He said it in a way that left Steve unsure whether he thought that was a good or bad thing.</p><p>Then Potter leaned forward. “Listen. I’m going to level with you. We were never friends in school—I was generally too busy trying not to die every year—but we were friendly. Everyone knew of you and your Howling Commandos. You were the ones who would stand up for anyone being bullied or against anyone in the wrong. I personally saw you both stand against <em>and</em> defend Draco Malfoy. And I saw you go against a sixth-year when you were in, what, second? Maybe third?”</p><p>“So?” Bucky prompted. Steve could tell his temper had mostly cooled by then.</p><p>“<em>So</em>,” Potter stressed, “I know you. Maybe not well, but I still know you. You’re not criminals, you never have been bad. You were always too righteous for that. You and your friends always stood up for what was right.”</p><p>He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. “Being on the Animagus Registry is generally so that people don’t abuse the ability. We all know that there are people out there who would use it to commit crimes or do something wrong. I’ve met some of them.” His next pause was longer, weighted. “My parents were betrayed and died at the hands of Voldemort because of one of them,” he said quietly.</p><p>“But I also know that not everyone’s like that. My father and my godfather were both unregistered Animagi and both very good men.”</p><p>A long silence descended over the room.</p><p>Steve didn’t know what to say to all that. But a tiny hope began to grow in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t going to be taken in. He knew that that feeling could die in an instant and that being arrested would be all the more painful for harboring it, but he couldn’t help but hope.</p><p>“Where are you going with all this?” Bucky asked slowly.</p><p>Potter took a long, slow breath. “McGonagall came to see me after speaking to the both of you.”</p><p>Steve and Bucky sucked in shocked breaths and sat back at that. They hadn’t expected it and the betrayal hurt. They’d thought they could trust her. Well, Steve had, anyway. At the time, Bucky hadn’t trusted anyone but Steve.</p><p>“She came to see me <em>privately</em>,” Potter added quickly, obviously understanding their reactions. “She was worried about the pair of you. She told me your reasons for not registering, both what you said and what she believed. And she told me of your unique situation. Of having your memories erased by HYDRA,” Potter clarified. He looked directly at Bucky then. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about your family.”</p><p>Buck looked down when tears filled his eyes.</p><p>Steve couldn’t <em>not</em> reach for his husband’s hand.</p><p>“McGonagall also told me of the second Sorting Hat,” Potter said after a few moments.</p><p>“What’s Araminta got to do with anything?” Steve asked, confused.</p><p>Potter gave a small little smile. “Because of you, I’ve got a friend whose parents sometimes recognize him when he walks into the room. He’s never had that before.”</p><p>“I still don’t see how that’s <em>our</em> doing,” Bucky murmured, “but Neville deserves it. I’m glad.”</p><p>“So, McGonagall told you about us,” Steve said after a minute. “Are we going to Azkaban?”</p><p>Bucky stilled beside him.</p><p>“I don’t want to send you there, no.” Potter said. “I’ve always liked the pair of you. You’ve always gone out of your way to help others, even at the possible cost to yourselves. But I’m not going to lie. I couldn’t figure out a way to <em>not</em> send you to jail for breaking wizarding law. As Minister for Magic, I can’t make exceptions just because I like someone.”</p><p>Steve felt his heart begin to sink. He looked down at his lap. Bucky’s grip on his hand tightened and he knew that his husband was just as worried.</p><p>“But then I got the idea to make a <em>new</em> law.”</p><p>Steve jerked his head up. He looked quizzically at Potter who had a small smile on his face.</p><p>“I’m sure there are other people out there who, like you, acquired the skill without the intent to do wrong but who are now <em>afraid</em> to register as Animagi, fearing consequences or retribution for whatever reason.”</p><p>Bucky started to look intrigued. “What was your idea?”</p><p>“Do you know what a Secret-Keeper is?” Potter asked instead of answering.</p><p>Both Steve and Bucky knew how the Fidelius Charm worked, how the Secret-Keeper could not be tortured, bewitched, or blackmailed into revealing the secret they kept, so they nodded, even if they didn’t understand where he was going with the question.</p><p>Potter’s smile grew. “I thought to make a new Registry, a secondary one. One that’s completely confidential. ‘Name: Classified. Animagus form: Classified. Identifying Mark: Classified. Reason for needing to remain anonymous: Classified,’” he said as an example. “With a Secret-Keeper being the only one who knows the contents of the list.”</p><p>“But that Keeper could give up the information willingly,” Steve pointed out. “Or be tortured or killed. Or be made to forget. Then the list would be lost or known to all those the Keeper previously told.”</p><p>“Ah, but what if the Keeper was not a person but an object? What if someone very powerful were to enchant an object to become the Secret-Keeper? If the Keeper wasn’t a person, that couldn’t happen. If someone needed to be added to—or checked against—the list, there are ways to do so without the list’s contents becoming known.”</p><p>A light entered Potter’s eyes. “And if we used, say, a powerful object that could read the intentions of the person asking about the Animagus they were checking up on, then the people on the list would be even safer.”</p><p>It suddenly clicked for Steve and he sat back in awe at the sheer audacity of it. “Araminta. You’re talking about Araminta. About making her the Secret-Keeper of your confidential registry.”</p><p>Bucky sucked in a surprised breath at the idea. Potter just grinned proudly.</p><p>“But how would you protect the Animagus against the person who tells her?” Steve asked, thinking it through. “<em>They</em> would still know.”</p><p>“And how would you protect <em>her</em>?” Bucky added, worried on behalf of their friend. “What’s to stop someone from taking Araminta to try to find out, or, I don’t know, trying to destroy her? Maybe she can’t be tortured like a human or animal, but she could still be destroyed.”</p><p>Potter held up his hand. “First, a person’s memory can be erased.” Bucky flinched at that and the Potter was quick to apologize and amend his statement. “The <em>specific</em> memory and knowledge of the Animagus being registered can be removed. Do you think that, if Araminta was powerful enough to give you back your memories, she wouldn’t be able to remove that information without damaging the person telling her?”</p><p>He let them think about that for a moment before continuing.</p><p>“Second, we could have protections against theft, harm, or ill intentions placed on her. And, being the Hogwarts-US Sorting Hat, her home is now here. Hogwarts—even a new Hogwarts—isn’t without its protections. As professors here, I’m sure you both know that. She would be safe while she’s here and she would be safe while she’s out helping people, as she is right now. She’s already got trusted people protecting her. Added to that, the fact that she’s the list’s Secret-Keeper would be known only to a select few.”</p><p>They studied him and Potter let them. He just calmly waited.</p><p>Bucky turned to Steve. &lt;Can we trust him?&gt; he asked in Irish.</p><p>They both knew it was highly unlikely that Potter would understand the difficult-to-learn language. He was famous enough that it was common knowledge that he’d been raised in Surrey. They felt free to discuss it in front of him.</p><p>&lt;I don’t think we have much choice. He said he couldn’t think of a way to not to arrest us unless we’re added to this list. At least it would be confidential.&gt;</p><p>It was a long moment before Bucky said, &lt;I trust Araminta.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Me, too,&gt; Steve agreed softly.</p><p>&lt;So, yes?&gt; Bucky checked.</p><p>Steve drew in a shaky breath and tightened his grip on Bucky’s hand. Bucky squeezed back.</p><p>It was a huge risk they’d be taking. But they really <em>didn’t</em> have a much of a choice. Potter already knew they were Animagi. He’d already seen Steve’s form. The options available to them were to sign on the dotted line, Obliviate the Minister for Magic and fight their way out—instantly becoming fugitives in the UK, probably the US, and possibly even the rest of the wizarding world—or be taken in for a stint in Azkaban and getting added to the public Animagus Registry instead of a private one.</p><p>&lt;Yes,&gt; Steve finally decided.</p><p>They both looked at Harry Potter, current Minister for Magic. “So, how do we do this?” Steve asked, switching back to English.</p><p>Tension they hadn’t noticed in Potter bled away. “You show me the forms you take, I take note—mentally, so nothing’s written down—of your animals and any identifying marks or characteristics. I already know your reasons for keeping it secret but, if you have more I’d note those, too. Then I head straight to Araminta.</p><p>“She’ll start a list—as you’d be the first names on it—and alter my memory. I’ll know that I added two names and that you let me do so willingly, but I won’t remember any details. It’ll be as safe as we can make it and you’ll be legally registered so no one can come after you for that.</p><p>“The Confidential Registry for In-Danger Animagi—CRIDA—will become common knowledge among all witches and wizards. It will become known that Animagi can register and be legally protected from prosecution while still staying safe, provided they have an acceptable reason for their status to be kept confidential. Otherwise they’d go on the public list.”</p><p>The room fell into silence.</p><p>“Oh,” Potter added as an afterthought, “And it’s not just the British Ministry. MACUSA has agreed to be involved, as well as several other Ministries across Europe. It’s my hope that, one day, governments all around the world will adopt the idea. Maybe fewer innocent people will be sent for a term in jail solely because they were too afraid to register and someone found them out and reported them.”</p><p>His voice grew quieter then. “And, maybe someday, magical-creature Animagi won’t be seen as rare or strange and some people can be moved from the confidential list to the public one and not be put in danger because of it.”</p><p>Steve didn’t know how to feel. He and Bucky had spent more than a dozen years wary of anyone finding out about them. And, once they’d started making enemies…</p><p>They’d known the risk they took by not registering. But they’d felt the risk would be greater had they done so. Setting aside exactly what they turned into, so many of their enemies were still out there. Rumlow and Rollins, in particular, wanted them dead, Steve knew. Ward and Garrett certainly wouldn’t mind that, either. And there were probably many others.</p><p>Until they’d gone into hiding to try to cope with Bucky’s memory loss and then relocated to Hogwarts-US, as Potter had called it, they’d been the bane of HYDRA existence. HYDRA’s sworn enemies. And, now, they were being offered the protection of the law while still remaining anonymous. HYDRA still wouldn’t know they were Animagi.</p><p>“Do you…” Steve began hesitantly, “want us to show you now? You’ve already seen me but mostly that was while fighting or with injuries.”</p><p>“Yes,” Harry answered. “But first, I have a question.”</p><p>They both regarded him with cautious curiosity.</p><p>“Not a whole lot is known about Patronuses and even less is known about Animagi, but one thing that is generally agreed upon is that they always match. You both were in D.A. Now, not everyone managed to conjure a corporeal Patronus, but I definitely remember that both of you did. And I know they weren’t magical creatures. I don’t think anyone’s were. So how are you a Hippogriff, Steve, and whatever you are, Bucky?”</p><p>Steve exchanged a somber look with his husband. Then he sighed and turned back. “A lot has changed since then, Harry. We were third-years when you ran D.A. It was later that year—<em>after</em> I produced my first Patronus—that I found out my mother died when she didn’t have to. Then we both fought in the Battle of Hogwarts in fifth year. We admitted that we loved each other after seventh and later got married.”</p><p>“I killed my family, almost killed my husband, and lost my memory,” Bucky added quietly, emotionally.</p><p>“Hey,” Steve said gently. He reached out and gently cupped Bucky’s jaw with both hands, made his husband look at him. “You know none of that was your fault. That wasn’t <em>you</em>. It was HYDRA. All of that was HYDRA. You were Imperiused. You are <em>not</em> to blame.”</p><p>Bucky closed his eyes and slowly nodded.</p><p>After a few moments, Steve let go and went back to holding Bucky’s hand. “My first Patronus was a horse. After the battle, it changed to a Hippogriff. We succeeded in becoming Animagi after that. Then, after we admitted our feelings, it changed again to Bucky’s Animagus form.”</p><p>Bucky’s voice was still a little unsteady but he took a breath and added his own sequence. “My first Patronus was an otter. Then it changed to a Demiguise. That’s my Animagus. My Patronus became a Hippogriff when we got married.”</p><p>It took a few seconds for Potter to put it all together. When he did, his eyebrows rose. “You’re Animagi and Patronuses don’t match!”</p><p>“They did at one point,” Steve said, “but, no, not anymore. It was just another reason why we didn’t want to go on a public list. We have too much that makes us different.”</p><p>“They match each other now,” Bucky said with a small smile for Steve. “I like that much better.”</p><p>Getting his own sappy grin, Steve raised their clasped hands to kiss Bucky’s knuckles. &lt;I love you,&gt; he murmured in Irish. Bucky repeated it back. Steve got lost in Bucky’s eyes until Potter spoke again.</p><p>“I think you two make a lovely couple, if you don’t mind me saying. And I’m really glad you agreed to my idea so I don’t have to arrest you. Azkaban’s no place for good men like you.” He paused then cleared his throat.</p><p>Steve’s brows drew down. Obviously there was something else.</p><p>“If you could show me your Animagus forms? Then there’re a couple more things I want to discuss.</p><p>So that’s what they did.</p><p>Steve was a Hippogriff with sun-kissed golden feathers that darkened to beautiful russet fur. Bucky was a chocolate-and-caramel Demiguise. Their colors made them both unique because Steve’s feathers and Bucky’s fur were the same color as their human hair, colors not found in Hippogriffs or Demiguises. Other than that, they had no identifying marks.</p><p>When Potter curiously asked, they conjured their Patronuses. He was fascinated at how they really were different from their Animagus forms. As far as he’d known, he said, that wasn’t possible. But there they were.</p><p>After all that was finished, Bucky tilted his head and asked, “So, what else did you want to discuss?”</p><p>“Two things,” Harry said. “Well, one thing to talk about and one thing to deliver, actually. A letter from Neville.” He pulled it out from an inside pocket of his jacket. “You can read it whenever. I don’t believe he expects a reply. He heard I was visiting the school and asked me to deliver it. I promised I’d make sure you got it.</p><p>“The other thing I wanted to talk to you about,” he hesitated before blowing out a breath, “is HYDRA. Specifically: your troubles with them.”</p><p>Steve and Bucky looked up from the envelope addressed to them in cramped handwriting.</p><p>“What <em>about</em> HYDRA?” Bucky asked cautiously.</p><p>Harry sat back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the arm. “Technically, HYDRA should be a problem for the Auror Office in the Ministry’s Department of Magical Law Enforcement or MACUSA’s Aurors if they come to the US. But I’m guessing the group has a special hatred for the two of you considering your history with them.”</p><p>Steve snorted at that, amused despite himself. “That’s putting it mildly,” he muttered.</p><p>“So, I’m proposing that you both be listed as Aurors under the ministry,”</p><p>Their brows drew up in surprise at Potter’s words.</p><p>“You’d be inactive and unpaid so you can’t be called on to help with things actual Aurors deal with. But being listed would make it so our hands aren’t so tied if—or, more likely, <em>when</em>—you go up against them again. You’d have a better chance of the Ministry backing your actions instead of letting you go down with HYDRA. Without that, I can’t promise that you won’t get caught up in their downfall, even if you’re the ones who ultimately cause it.”</p><p>“What would we be required to do?” Steve asked.</p><p>“Nothing. You wouldn’t go through training or be called up to go on missions. You wouldn’t have to file any monthly progress reports. You wouldn’t have to do any of the things Aurors normally do. You’d stay in the lives you have now, you’d just be more protected in the case of HYDRA coming after you again.”</p><p>Potter studied them for a moment. “If they hate you enough to put you,” he looked at Bucky, “under the Imperius Curse and send you after your own family and then your husband, I’m betting they’ll eventually come after you again. People who care that much—” He shook his head and started over. “Hate is a kind of care, even if it’s negative. And people who care that much don’t just stop. I believe they’ll come for you again.”</p><p>“Why are you doing all this?” Bucky asked a bit suspiciously. He’d always been the more cautious of the two of them. “Why go through all this trouble just for us?”</p><p>“McGonagall vouches for you.” When Bucky raised a challenging eyebrow, Harry sighed. “Because I like the pair of you and I always have. You were good kids and I think you grew up to be good men. I don’t much want to see either of you go down when I can do something to prevent it.”</p><p>“We definitely wouldn’t be called in to fight or have to keep anyone informed of our whereabouts?” Bucky double checked after another moment.</p><p>“I mean, I can’t say you’ll <em>never</em> be asked to fight, but you shouldn’t be. And you would have every right to say no if you were. You certainly wouldn’t be forced to do it. And, no, you won’t have to keep anyone apprised of your location. ”</p><p>Bucky nodded. But Steve was thinking hard about all the possible implications of the offer. “You understand,” he said slowly, “that, if they ever do come after us again, we won’t be fighting to arrest them, right? I don’t want to kill anyone and neither does Bucky, but if we have to fight, we won’t be fighting to capture.</p><p>“HYDRA’s a fanatic cult and we killed the leader they all but worshiped. Then we killed the man who replaced him,” he continued. “They would love nothing more than to see us dead, except maybe to torture us before they made us that way. We won’t risk our lives or the lives of others by holding back because some office lackey with too high of an opinion of themselves would prefer we brought them in alive. We let them live before and paid a very steep price for it.”</p><p>“Many times over,” Bucky agreed vehemently.</p><p>Harry nodded seriously at them. “Yes, I understand that.”</p><p>“Then I have no problem with your inactive-Auror idea. Buck?” Steve looked over at his husband.</p><p>Bucky shrugged. “If it’ll keep us out of Azkaban or whatever hole they decided to try to drop us in for bringing those evil bastards down, then, yeah, I agree, too. So long as we’re not called up to fight. We would have <em>actually</em> become Aurors if we wanted that.”</p><p>“Then,” Potter stood with a smile and extended his hand to shake, “As Minister for Magic for the British Ministry of Magic, I congratulate the both of you on your <em>recently</em>-acquired skills as Animagi and thank you for dutifully reporting your abilities in a timely manner. And congratulations on being the first names added to the new Confidential Registry for In-Danger Animagi, also known as CRIDA.”</p><p>It was only as they shook hands that it truly started to sink in. Harry Potter—former schoolmate, former D.A. teacher, former Head of the Auror Office, current British Minister for Magic, the man who’d defeated Voldemort as a <em>teenager</em>—wasn’t going to arrest them.</p><p>Bucky and Steve had been found out but they weren’t going to Azkaban.</p><p>Steve didn’t quite know what to do with that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I made some changes with quite a few of the previous chapters. It had been bugging me that I’d previously stated that Steve and Bucky had killed Pierce but not Red Skull. They way that I’d written it implied that, either they weren’t part of the same group or they'd only killed the lesser threat between the two. So, now, they’ve killed them both. Go back and reread if you’d like more information. </p>
<p>Also, I’ve gone back and fixed all spots where foreign languages were spoken. They’re <em>all</em> in &lt; &gt; now instead of just chapter 5. Sorry I didn’t before. I forgot.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 18</strong>
</p>
<p>They started for the door to the Headmaster’s office when Bucky suddenly stopped short. Steve stopped as well. “Buck?”</p>
<p>But Bucky didn’t answer him. He was eying Harry, who’d paused at the still-closed door when Steve spoke.</p>
<p>“Did you really not know that Steve’s ma had died?”</p>
<p>Regret flashed across his face as he met Bucky’s gaze. Then he faced Steve. “You said you were a third year when it happened.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded even though it hadn’t been a question.</p>
<p>“That was the year Umbridge tried taking over Hogwarts. I was studying for O.W.L.s, teaching D.A., and dealing with everyone calling me a liar for saying Voldemort was back and that he'd killed Cedric Diggory. That was also the year my godfather, the last of my family, died right in front of me, protecting me. I was pretty distracted for most of the year, but especially near the end. I’m sorry. No, I didn’t know.”</p>
<p>“Man,” Bucky chuckled wryly. “I thought <em>everyone</em> at Hogwarts knew. The portraits certainly weren’t quiet about it. Steve stormed into Dumbledore’s office and yelled at him. And not even in English. He was so angry that he yelled at him purely in Irish. I heard him all the way out in the hall as I passed by. And he didn’t stop until after I managed to convince the Griffin statue to let me in. He almost punched Snape, too,” Bucky said with a smirk aimed at Steve.</p>
<p>Harry just stood there blinking, stunned. “You yelled at Dumbledore?” A beat. “You almost <em>punched</em> Professor Snape?!”</p>
<p>Steve could feel a blush slowly filling his cheeks. “Not one of my shining moments, but yes. I’m pretty sure none of them actually understood a word I said, though. I was just so angry that my mother had died for no other reason than because of wizarding prejudice. It didn’t matter that she came from one of the <em>Sacred Twenty-Eight</em> families.” He sneered the pretentious title that most of the pure-blood lines clung fanatically to. “She was a Squib so the people at St Mungo’s refused to treat her. She died when she didn’t have to.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Potter said sympathetically. Then he blinked. “Wait, your mother was a pure-blood? One of the so-called ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight?’”</p>
<p>“Yeah. But she never showed any signs of magic and didn’t get a Hogwarts letter. Her parents made her watch as her mother blasted her from the family tapestry. Then they threw her away like yesterday’s rubbish and never looked back. They dumped her on the steps of an orphanage in Ireland with nothing but the clothes on her back. But, as bad as it was there, I actually think she was better off in the orphanage after everything I’ve heard about the Blacks.”</p>
<p>Potter’s eyes widened at that. “You’re a Black?”</p>
<p>Steve’s own eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m a Rogers,” he said icily.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Only… Do you know if your mother had any siblings?”</p>
<p>Potter looked a bit pale and Steve didn’t understand why. He also didn’t understand why they were even talking about this, why it should matter. It was just making him annoyed again.</p>
<p>“Yes, she did,” Steve said, a bit more sharply than he’d intended, but he didn’t care. “One dead young, the other an insane murderer sent to Azkaban. Both supporters of Voldemort. Both dead now. And good riddance; the whole lot of them were evil. It’s nothing short of a miracle that my mother turned out as kind and loving as she did when she spent the first decade of her life with them.”</p>
<p>Potter rubbed his hand over his mouth and stared at Steve, shocked. “You’re related to Sirius Black?”</p>
<p>“Why?” Bucky demanded. He sounded just as annoyed as Steve was, now. “Is that going to affect anything we talked about today? Are you withdrawing your help? Are you going to throw us in Azkaban now?”</p>
<p>“No!” Potter threw up his hands in frustration before running them through his hair. He turned, paced a step, and turned back. “No,” he said calmer. “But if you’re related to <em>those</em> Blacks, then you’re wrong about them—well, two of them, anyway.</p>
<p>“Regulus Black died trying to <em>stop</em> Voldemort. And Sirius was framed and spent twelve years in Azkaban for crimes he didn’t commit. Sirius was my godfather and a good man. A Death Eater killed him my fifth year; the same year your mother died, I guess.”</p>
<p>Steve was having trouble coming to terms with the sudden change in the lifelong view of his mother’s birth family. Everything he’d ever read, ever heard, ever known about them all said that the Blacks were awful, evil people. To be told that his two uncles weren’t… He didn’t quite know how to deal with that.</p>
<p>“Sirius was barely more than a baby when his sister disappeared. He’d been told all his life that she’d died. He found out much later that that wasn’t true. He spent <em>years</em> trying to find her.</p>
<p>“As the last living Black descendant, Sirius inherited everything that belonged to his family after his mother died. He didn’t have any children and neither did his brother so, before he died, Sirius willed everything to me.” Harry took a careful breath. “About five years ago, I found some time to go through some more of his things and I found a letter. It was addressed to his sister.” He watched Steve carefully. “So, please, are you related to Sirius Black?”</p>
<p>Steve’s insides were quivering and he felt unmoored. So much had already happened. And now there was this. He didn’t know how to deal with it all.</p>
<p>Trolls that shouldn’t have been there attacking children; fighting in Hippogriff form and getting seriously injured; <em>still</em> being partially injured; finding out McGonagall had told the Minister for Magic about them; <em>not</em> being taken off to rot for years in a magical jail; being given a fighting chance against HYDRA. And, now, finding out that not all of his mother’s family was evil. And that at least one of them—her brother—had searched for her.</p>
<p>Bucky came up behind Steve and carefully wrapped him up in his arms. He tucked his chin over Steve’s shoulder and gave him a gentle kiss on the jaw. It felt like having a loving, supportive wall at his back to prop him up when he most needed it. Steve dearly loved his husband; more so each day.</p>
<p>“My mother’s birth name was Lyra Alexia Black,” Steve whispered hoarsely. He held tightly to Bucky’s arms around his stomach, grounding himself. “She had two younger brothers: Siri and Reggie, both babies when she was left on the doorstep of an orphanage. They changed her name to Sarah Murphy to try to make her more adoptable when everyone wanted newborns, not half-grown children.”</p>
<p>Harry stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Steve’s arm. Looking up into his eyes, he said, “Then I have a letter for you from your uncle to your mother. Your uncle who loved her very much and who would’ve loved you, too, had he known.”</p>
<p>Steve closed his eyes when a tear fell. Harry let go when Steve turned in Bucky’s arms. Bucky just held on tight and murmured in his ear. It didn’t matter what he said; his husband’s voice was a balm to Steve’s aching heart.</p>
<p>He didn’t even know why he felt the way he did. Harry had said that Steve’s uncle, the last living Black, had died the same year as Sarah. Sixteen years was a long time.</p>
<p>But.</p>
<p>&lt;Why does it hurt so much?&gt; Steve asked in Irish.</p>
<p>Bucky tightened his hold on Steve. &lt;Because it’s your family, love.&gt;</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 19</strong>
</p><p>Life at Hogwarts-US moved on. There were still lessons to teach. There were still assignments to grade. Still two months left of the school year. And final exams were coming up soon.</p><p>After Harry left, Steve and Bucky visited the Hospital Wing. They wanted to see how Natasha was doing—she’d already come and gone—and Steve needed to get checked out. Bucky might know emergency healing magic and Hippogriff anatomy, but he was no trained Healer.</p><p>When Steve began to gingerly take off his jacket and shirt for Jim, there were titters and dreamy sighs heard around the room. Exchanging a shit-eating grin with Bucky, Morita flicked his wand and drew the curtains closed to section them off from everyone else. After that, Morita got to work.</p><p>He checked Steve over, healing anything he found and complimenting Bucky on what he’d already done. To be on the safe side, he quietly suggested that Steve have Luna go over his other form, since that was what had originally been injured.</p><p>The fact that they were Animagi had quickly become common knowledge among the Professors and Headmaster. Peggy had made it eminently clear to everyone—even to the Headmaster—that it was to be kept a secret and Steve and Bucky were grateful to her for that.</p><p>After Steve got fixed up, they made a point to personally inform each of Howlies, Luna, and Phillips that they were on a confidential list for in-danger Animagi. There was no point in keeping that part a secret when the others already knew the rest.</p><p>Steve was just glad that everyone was their friend. He and Bucky weren’t treated any differently than they were before the others had found out. Well, aside from Steve being teased and called a horse’s ass more often.</p><p>Like Bucky had never used that one before.</p><p>So, life moved on. MACUSA left with the sixteen forest trolls and classes got back on track.</p><p>It was a Friday afternoon in mid-May and Steve was in what he’d early on dubbed the ‘Staff Lounge’—the study cum sitting room where the staff tended to gather.</p><p>He was sitting comfortably on an over-stuffed loveseat with a rotating desk top attached to the arm where he graded essays for his Muggle Studies class. At his side, Bucky was curled up, lazing around as an invisible Demiguise. Steve absently petted him while he made corrections in red ink with his quill.</p><p>Behind him, the door opened and he looked over his shoulder.</p><p>“Hi, Pegs.”</p><p>“Hello, Steve. How are you?”</p><p>He sighed. “Grading third-years’ papers,” he replied. “You’d think, with only a little more than a month until exams, they’d be better written. Some of them are great. But some of the others…” He trailed off with another sigh and Peggy gave him a commiserating look.</p><p>Steve felt Bucky slowly lift his head, presumably to watch as Peg sat down in a hideous but extremely comfortable wingback chair. He felt Bucky slide quietly to the floor, abandoning him. With an amused shake of his head, he set down his quill to watch. This was the first time anyone but Steve had been around while Bucky was a Demiguise.</p><p>“So, today—”</p><p>Peggy stopped speaking as suddenly as she’d started and looked down at the <em>nothing</em> in front of her. But Steve knew what to look for. He saw her black robes move ever so slightly at her knees, invisible fingers making tiny imprints in the fabric. He saw the moment it clicked with Peggy, when she realized that Bucky was in front of her.</p><p>“Would you like to sit with me?” she asked him with a smile.</p><p>Her robes pulled a little and Steve guessed that Bucky was climbing up.</p><p>The door to the Lounge opened again and Dum Dum, Gabe, and Monty strolled in, mid-conversation. Peggy’s robes slid sideways under Bucky’s feet and she reached out to steady him. “It’s just a few of the boys, darling.”</p><p>The three men abruptly stopped talking and looked around, confused. She hadn’t been looking at anyone when she’d spoken.</p><p>“Who’re you talking to, Pegs?” Dum Dum asked with a curious half-smile.</p><p>“Bucky,” she answered, nodding at her apparently empty lap.</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>It was Gabe who understood first. “Demiguise.” He smacked Dum Dum lightly on the back of the head. “She’s not mad; he’s invisible.” He then proceeded to gracelessly flop down on the loveseat beside Steve and tilt is head back. “Second-years are going to kill me,” he groaned. “I had to bring three of them to Jim when they passed out during class. <em>Three</em>! <em>Why</em> do they think they know more about Mandrakes then the Herbology Professor?”</p><p>Steve patted Gabe’s shoulder consolingly. After a few minutes, Gabe, Dugan, and Falsworth went back to their previous conversation. Steve glanced at Peg and Buck to make sure they were fine. Peggy had pulled her chair’s rotating desk top in front of her and had papers stacked on top of it. Like Steve had before, one hand lightly petted an invisible Bucky curled up at her side. With a smile, Steve went back to his own work.</p><p>After about forty-five minutes, Monty and Gabe left to get ready for their next classes and Dugan followed saying something about finding a snack.</p><p>Bucky must have shifted because Peggy looked down and asked, “What is it, darling?”</p><p>Steve looked up just in time to see Bucky appear. He was standing on her lap looking shyly up at her.</p><p>“Oh…” she marveled quietly. “Steve was right. You <em>are</em> beautiful.” She ran her fingers through the unusual chocolate-and-caramel fur near his ear. “Thank you for letting me see you.” Bucky half-closed his eyes and gave a happy little rumbling purr at the petting before hopping off her lap and loping back over to Steve.</p><p>With what was probably a sappy grin at his husband for revealing his Animagus to Peggy, Steve reached his arm down, silently offering to pull him up. When Bucky was beside him on the loveseat once more, he curled up and disappeared again.</p><p>Peggy had a pleased little smile on her face as she went back to her grading.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just a little clarification for anyone who may need it. If not, please ignore. </p><p><strong>“She’s not mad; he’s invisible.”</strong> I used mad as in crazy, not angry. I don't normally use the word but it made sense for them because, in this story, they're all from the UK or thereabouts, not America. </p><p>(P.S. Let me know if that's not actually a word used in the UK and I'll change it. I'm not from there so I'm going off of vague memories of the movies and books. It's been a while since I've seen or read them.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Look up U-No-Poo on the Harry Potter wiki (<a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/U-No-Poo">https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/U-No-Poo</a>) and read the various translations for the name. Some of them are hilarious. The German one made me lol.</p>
<p>(P.S. I made up the Dancing Bowels Hex.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 20</strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone was at dinner in the Great Hall. All the students were tired but, overall, pretty happy. The troll incident was well in the past when there were other things to worry about—such as exams coming up in a bit over two weeks. There were quite a few students studying while they ate.</p>
<p>Beside him, Bucky was holding an animated conversation in French with Dernier and Jim about—</p>
<p>Steve did a double take.</p>
<p>—about the various medical uses of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product U-No-Poo, as well as its combative uses against an adversary.</p>
<p>If only the students could hear and understand them now…</p>
<p>Steve shook his head, chuckling to himself, and hooked his ankle around Bucky’s. So used to the move, Bucky didn’t even stop explaining a particularly gruesome use for the candy on an enemy if one could be patient and sneaky enough. He just shifted his leg out farther for easier access.</p>
<p>Jim countered Bucky’s explicit—and rather disgusting—example with one of his own, detailing how it could possibly help someone suffering from the effects of the Dancing Bowels Hex.</p>
<p>Dernier seemed to be there solely for the enjoyment of his own colorful side-commentary and suggestions of different obscure charms that could either cause a situation where one would need to use U-No-Poo or ones that would mimic the effects.</p>
<p>On the other side of the trio, Peggy met Steve’s eyes and rolled her own in fond exasperation.</p>
<p>They all stopped and turned to look out over the Hall at the sudden screech of a barn owl. It was unusual for an owl to be delivering a letter so late. Mail was delivered en masse at breakfast each morning. Whatever it was, it must be urgent.</p>
<p>The owl passed up all the tables filled with students and headed for the staff table. It aimed for the far left side.</p>
<p>It landed in between Steve and Bucky and looked at them both.</p>
<p>“What the hell?” Bucky muttered.</p>
<p>Steve pulled a scarlet-red letter from the owl’s beak and took a look at the address label. It was addressed to both of them. “It’s from Howie…”</p>
<p>“What the hell,” Bucky repeated, a little more forcefully.</p>
<p>They both knew exactly what the red letter was. No one could mistake it for anything other than a Howler. The question was: Why did Howard Stark send it?</p>
<p>Steve knew they would find out soon enough.</p>
<p>Opening it before it could start to smoke angrily at them and explode, Steve braced himself.</p>
<p>“HOW <em>COULD</em> YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? I THOUGHT WE WERE <em>FRIENDS</em>!” Howard’s amplified voice rang out, echoing off the walls of the Great Hall. It was so loud it was almost deafening. The tableware shook and rattled with the force of it.</p>
<p>A first-year fell off their bench in surprise.</p>
<p>“HOW COULD YOU NOT <em>TELL</em> ME?! IT’S BEEN <em>YEARS</em>!”</p>
<p>Steve started to have an idea on what the letter was about. He met Bucky’s eyes. Then, as one, they turned to glower at the other Howling Commandos. Peggy stayed calmly in place but all the others shrank back. Dernier edged away from Bucky until he was pressed against Jim’s side, nearly in his lap.</p>
<p>“I’VE BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS WRITE ME! OR CALL! I’M SURE I HAVE ONE OF THOSE MUGGLE TELEPHONE THINGIES AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE. PROBABLY… MAYBE… OR MAYBE NOT. <em>BUT STILL</em>!”</p>
<p>None of the Howlies would meet their eyes. Steve couldn’t tell if Peggy was in on telling Howard about him and Bucky, but the rest of them had definitely known.</p>
<p>“I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE! I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A BRILLIANT GIFT! BUT INSTEAD I FIND OUT IN <em>A LETTER</em>! FROM OUR<em> FRIENDS</em>! <em>SIX YEARS LATER</em>!”</p>
<p>Bucky crossed his arms to go with the fierce glare at all their friends.</p>
<p>“IGNORE THE FACT THAT I LOST IT AND FORGOT ABOUT IT AND ONLY JUST FOUND IT AGAIN. I READ IT! AND NOW I KNOW!”</p>
<p>There was a pause, like Howard had taken a really big breath. Steve braced himself and was glad he had. What Howard said next was even <em>louder</em>.</p>
<p>“WHY, IN THE NAME OF MERLIN’S BAGGY PANTS, DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU TWO GOT MARRIED?!”</p>
<p>The abrupt silence that followed was just as deafening as the letter had been.</p>
<p>The red paper shredded itself into tiny pieces, fell to the table, and then burst into flame. There were some odd thumps from various tables but Steve and Bucky ignored it all in favor of staring accusingly at their friends.</p>
<p>They ignored it, that was, until the laughter started.</p>
<p>Switching their gazes to look out at the students, they easily pinpointed the bright sound: Natasha, from over at the Slytherin table. She was pointing at several students near her who looked devastated. Quite a few kids—at her table, as well as at the other three—looked equally distressed. Some had their heads down on the table, likely the sources of the thumps they’d heard. Ouch.</p>
<p>It was then that Steve realized just <em>why</em> Tasha was laughing. Howard had just announced to the entire school that Steve and Bucky were married. Apparently, more than a few students had harbored a crush on them. Steve had thought Tasha had been exaggerating. But, looking out at all the disappointed faces, fierce blushes, and heads lying beside their plates or on top of school books, it was quite a bit more than a few. Or even more than a few dozen.</p>
<p>Obviously thinking along the same lines as him, Bucky leaned forward to murder-glare at the Howlies again. In French he asked, &lt;Did no one bother to mention <em>in the letter you sent Howie</em> that we teach kids now and any Howler he decided to send would be heard by <em>all six hundred of them</em>?&gt;</p>
<p>Not one of them answered.</p>
<p>Steve just sat back, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I make myself laugh. That is why I am doing this. I forget that sometimes. I hope I made others laugh, too. The world needs more of that in it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mind the chapters. This is the second one I've posted today. </p>
<p>Make sure you don't skip chapter 20. This is a direct result of what happened there.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Chapter 21</strong> </p>
<p>Natasha arrived early to DADA class the next morning. Rushing into the room, she was the first student there. Throwing her books down at her desk, she skipped gleefully up to the front.</p>
<p>“Hi Professor Barnes, Professor Rogers. How is your day today?”</p>
<p>She seemed to be in an unusually chipper mood and Steve eyed her wide, toothy grin suspiciously. “Fine… Had a morning run, enjoyed breakfast.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” she replied happily. “Quite a few people saw you out this morning. An uncommonly large number of students were awake early enough to see you run by. And there was a lot of groaning after you passed.” She sounded pleased. “Lots of disappointed looks as they ate breakfast, too. Mine was wonderful. It tasted like satisfaction.”</p>
<p>“Savage,” Bucky commented as he finished writing a note down for later. “Your Slytherin is showing, Tasha.”</p>
<p>A scowl settled on her face. “Maybe I wouldn’t find it so great if they didn’t make fun of me.”</p>
<p>“Are they <em>still</em> doing that? I thought the bullying had stopped.”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “It mostly has. There’s only about four of them now. And they’re careful not to do anything when anyone else is around because even the students have started saying something. They’ve lost Slytherin so many points that people are worried.”</p>
<p>“Have you made <em>any</em> friends this year?” Bucky asked.</p>
<p>“One. He’s really nice and doesn’t fit in either. You two left before the Sorting but he was almost a stall. Kids treat him differently because of it. And because he ran away from home and joined the circus before coming here.”</p>
<p>“Is this the kid you said spends time up in the rafters?” That sounded like something someone from the circus would do.</p>
<p>“Yup,” Natasha replied, bouncing happily.</p>
<p>But there was no time for more. Students started filtering into the room. Some were excited for class like normal but others were slow and dragging. Steve guessed these were kids who’d had crushes. There wasn’t anything they could do about it so he opted to ignore their moods.</p>
<p>His back to the class, Bucky started writing something by hand on the chalkboard while Steve rifled through their lesson notes at the desk.</p>
<p>The room suddenly grew silent and Steve looked up to see a Gryffindor, Matt, with his hand in the air. Steve should’ve expected questions to be asked after the Howler the night before.</p>
<p>Bucky obviously had because, without turning around or even pausing in what he was doing, he said, “If your question is <em>not</em> about the personal lives of your professors, you may ask. Anything otherwise, and you’re bound for disappointment.”</p>
<p>Matt slowly put his arm down amid saddened mutters. Steve saw Tasha hide a smirk.</p>
<p>Seeing that Bucky was almost finished writing, Steve called, “Turn to page four-oh-nine. We’ll be reviewing zombies since many of you presented us with,”—he paused to think of a polite way to describe the assignments they’d recently graded—“we’ll say ‘interesting’ ideas about them in your homework. After that, we’ll move on to the day’s lesson.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger Warning for Steve getting hurt. It is described. Tread carefully. A more detailed description (and where to skip if you want) can be found in the endnotes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Chapter 22</strong> </p><p>Steve took a walk by himself near where the forest bordered one of the more spectacular geysers on Hogwarts grounds. It was out of the way but picturesque. The view was beautiful enough to somewhat keep him out of his head.</p><p>The year was almost through. Students would be taking their final exams in twelve days. After that, there would be the End-of-Term Feast and the kids would be sent home on the train.</p><p>He and Bucky hadn’t discussed what they planned to do after that, though.</p><p>Before they’d agreed to teach, neither of them had really known what to do. They’d just been at a standstill, trying to deal with Buck’s memory loss. But now…</p><p>Steve actually really liked teaching. He enjoyed being around their old friends and the students were great, if trying at times. He wasn’t much for grading papers, but teaching had been good. He loved that two of his classes were with his husband by his side. And Muggle Studies had turned out to be interesting, challenging, engaging, and fun, all at the same time.</p><p>Steve thought the kids had liked their lessons, too. He thought everyone had made remarkable progress over the past ten months.</p><p>But now, he wasn’t sure what he and Bucky would be doing. Would they stay and teach another year? Or would they move on to different things?</p><p>There was always the threat of HYDRA, regardless of where they were. But was it fair to the school, to the students and staff, to stay and risk endangering them?</p><p>“You look deep in thought.”</p><p>Steve jolted out of his head at Natasha’s voice. He hadn’t heard her come up beside him. That was definitely on him. He knew Tasha was pretty quiet and sneaky when she wanted to be but he should’ve been paying attention. Hadn’t he <em>just</em> been thinking about HYDRA still being a threat?</p><p>“Shouldn’t you be studying?” he asked.</p><p>“I’m taking a break before my head explodes or my brain melts and leaks out my ears,” she replied ruefully.</p><p>Steve chuckled at that. He remembered that feeling all too well. ‘Overload’ his ma had always called it. “Well, you’re welcome to stick around. I certainly don’t mind your company.”</p><p>Natasha beamed at him. In an uncharacteristic display, she squeezed his hand before quickly letting go, blushing a bright red. In return, because he was appreciative and he knew it was hard for her, he patted her on the shoulder.</p><p>They walked quietly side by side for a while, wandering the area. Tasha looked deep into thoughts of her own.</p><p>“I don’t want to go back,” she eventually said. But her tone was resigned.</p><p>Steve wasn’t sure where her orphanage was but he was sure it was a Muggle one. She would’ve known much more about magic had she grown up with the knowledge that she was a witch. “Where—”</p><p>A bright flash of bluish-white light caught Steve’s eye.</p><p>Tasha!</p><p>He reacted instinctively, stepping in front of the girl to protect her. He withdrew his wand but it was already too late. The spell hit him in the stomach, low enough that it had definitely been meant for her.</p><p>As he sank to the ground, he saw Brock Rumlow, Jack Rollins, Grant Ward, John Garrett, and several other HYDRA cultists that Steve recognized but didn’t know the names of. They slowly emerged out from the tree line.</p><p>Whatever he’d been hit with was extremely painful and so, so cold. It started in his gut and slowly seeped outward, gaining speed as fingers of frozen agony spread throughout his body.</p><p>He hadn’t known that going numb could hurt so much. It was excruciating.</p><p>Natasha needed to run, to hide, before they tried again. He wanted to tell her that but he could feel his organs shutting down. It felt like he was filling up with water that solidified in an instant. He drowned in a cold fire that burned at him, an unstoppable force consuming everything in its path. His intestines, his bladder, his stomach, his kidneys—on and on it went, from the inside out.</p><p>It was destroying him.</p><p>Steve didn’t know what spell could do this. It wasn’t any of the normal freezing spells. He didn’t think he’d be able to come back from this, healing magic or not.</p><p>Natasha had to run. She had to hide, to protect herself. But he didn’t know if he managed to say it out loud.</p><p>He did know he was dying.</p><p>In one final, desperate act, Steve pointed his wand at the small wolf mark on his wrist. He silently activated it, doing his best to communicate who and what and where.</p><p>But now his brain was starting to freeze. And his skin.</p><p>He hoped he got it right.</p><p>As he toppled the rest of the way to the ground, he heard a voice gleefully call out, “Oh! Well that was easy. Now to find the other bastard. I’m sure we can find some <em>use</em> for him.”</p><p>Steve heard horrible, ugly laughter.</p><p>And then he heard nothing at all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Trigger Warning: Steve gets hit by some unknown freezing spell protecting Natasha from HYDRA. The process of him becoming frozen is described fairly graphically. It is also stated that it is extremely painful. If you want to skip it, skip 4 paragraphs down from ‘<span class="u">They slowly emerged out from the tree line</span>’ to ‘<span class="u">Steve didn’t know what spell could do this.</span>’</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Steve’s POV as he slips back and forth between flashbacks and semi-consciousness.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 23</strong>
</p>
<p><em>A wand was taken from you upon your arrival, Mr. Rogers. Is </em>this<em> that wand? </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Erm, yes…? </em>
</p>
<p><em>And from which witch or wizard did you </em>take<em> this wand? </em></p>
<p>
  <em>You’re…you’re accusing me of stealing? That’s why I’m here?</em>
</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“What exactly happened?”</p>
<p>“We don’t know, Mr. President. We received word that HYDRA had made it onto school grounds and, when we arrived, he was frozen and the girl was hiding.”</p>
<p>“When did all this happen?”</p>
<p>“Six days ago, sir.”</p>
<p>“Do you know if he’ll wake up?”</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p><em>Why </em>else<em> would you be here, Mr. Rogers? </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Considering I’m not a Muggleborn, I don’t know. </em>
</p>
<p><em>There </em>are<em> no such things as Muggleborns. There are only witches and wizards and Muggles. You were born of two Muggles, therefore you are a Muggle and must have stolen the wand that was confiscated from you. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>No, my father was a Muggle. But my mother was a pure-blood.</em>
</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“So we don’t know what happened to Steve. Can anyone tell us what happened to Bucky and the girl? Why are they unconscious?”</p>
<p>“Natasha. You met her before, Minister. After the trolls. And we don’t really know.”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>
  <em>That is impossible. Your mother, Sarah Rogers, née Murphy, was a Muggle. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sarah Murphy wasn’t her birth name. She was a descendant of the House of Black.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There is no possible way she belonged to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight! </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She was a Squib and was left at an orphanage when she didn’t get a letter to Hogwarts. </em>
</p>
<p>You’re lying<em>. So I’ll ask you one last time, Mr. Rogers: Who did you take this wand from? Whose magic did you steal?</em></p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“What <em>do</em> you know?”</p>
<p>“Bucky—Professor Barnes—told us to keep them busy so we distracted the cult members. While we dueled, he snuck up behind them and took them down as quickly as possible. After that, he raced to Steve.”</p>
<p>“Jim—Healer Morita—said there was nothing he could do. None of us had ever seen a spell that did <em>that</em>.”</p>
<p>“Why weren’t they sent to the hospital?”</p>
<p>“She told us not to—”</p>
<p>“None of this explains how Professor Barnes and the student became unconscious!”</p>
<p>“Well, you see, Mr. President, Bucky dropped to his knees, obviously devastated when Jim said there was nothing he could do for his husband. Natasha joined him, crying—”</p>
<p>&lt;And, all of a sudden, there was a blinding flash of light and Araminta was sitting atop Bucky’s head!&gt;</p>
<p>“In English, Dernier. He said Araminta appeared in a flash of light. We can only assume that she said something to Bucky because, after a minute, he stood up and said a long incantation. Next thing we knew, his Patronus shot out of his wand and jumped into Steve.”</p>
<p>“Jumped into…?”</p>
<p>“Just…dived headfirst into his chest.”</p>
<p>“But what spell did he use?”</p>
<p>“When I asked Araminta after, she would only say ‘love is the most powerful of magics.’”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>
  <em>May I ask you a question, Senior Undersecretary Umbridge? Whose face did you steal? Obviously you don’t believe traits can be inherited from past generations. So, unless you look like an exact replica of your mother who willingly gave you her face—because you obviously don’t look like a man to have gotten it from your father—whose face did you steal? </em>
</p>
<p><em>How </em>dare<em> you, you little—! Since you refuse to tell us who you stole magic from and you cannot </em>prove<em> your </em>outlandish<em> claims that your mother was a pure-blood, I sentence you to— </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Shouldn’t you give me the chance to prove something before passing judgment—</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Do be quiet, Rogers. You’re mouth is even worse than Potter’s. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Minerva! What are you doing here? This is a private hearing. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes, I know that. But I have brought a witness.</em>
</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“What incantation did Professor Barnes use?”</p>
<p>“No one knows what it means, but he said ‘Non possum vivere nec sine animam meam.’”</p>
<p>A gasp.</p>
<p>“What is it? Speak up, Miss Michaels.”</p>
<p>“They must love each other very much. I don’t think that spell would have worked for or on anyone else.”</p>
<p>“Well, don’t just stand there, girl. Tell us what it <em>means</em>!”</p>
<p>“‘I cannot live without my soul.’”</p>
<p>More gasps.</p>
<p>“He must’ve passed out with such a powerful spell.”</p>
<p>“But, if that’s true, then why is the girl unconscious, too?”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>
  <em>This is Maeve O’Brian. I believe she might be helpful in Mr. Rogers’ request for records on his mother’s family. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Request for…what— </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, you look exactly like Sarah, don’t you, boyo. Spitting image, I daresay. Right down to your hair. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You knew my mother? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Speak up, boyo. I don’t hear like I used to. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You knew my ma? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Well, certainly. I was there the day she was brought to my orphanage. Left her on my doorstep, they did. I was the one who suggested she change her name. I’d hoped maybe someone would adopt her if she seemed more Irish. But it wasn’t to be. She left on her own when she turned eighteen. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>What was her name before you changed it? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You don’t know, boyo? I’m so sorry. I thought she would’ve told you. No wonder you’re having trouble requesting records on her family. Though, I must say, this is an odd place to be doing so.</em>
</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“She grabbed my hand.”</p>
<p>“Bucky?! Hey! Hey, Buck, answer me. Come on, pal. You just spoke; I heard you. Open your eyes and rejoin the land of the living!”</p>
<p>“Move aside, Dugan, so Jim can examine him.”</p>
<p>“Can you squeeze my hand, Barnes? Good. Now, can you open your eyes?”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p><em>Lyra Alexia Black was her name. But ‘Sarah Murphy’ fit in much better in County Cork. Your mother also quickly learned to speak</em> <em>Gaeilge like she was born to it. She was such a bright and clever child. I can’t imagine why someone would’ve wanted to give her up, especially since they kept her younger siblings. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Do you know their names, too? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You mean you don’t know of them either? Well… Really, I only heard her speak of them twice. Both times she called them Siri and Reggie. I got the idea that they were considerably younger than she was. Still babies when she’d arrived at the orphanage at eleven.</em>
</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“What do you mean ‘she grabbed your hand?’”</p>
<p>“Just tha—” Weak coughing.</p>
<p>“Drink some water, Buck. Give it time. You’ve been out almost a week.”</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>“Natasha grabbed my hand…and <em>pushed</em> her magic into me. Added her own power to the spell…made it stronger.”</p>
<p>“Araminta said your spell is still working, to keep holding on.”</p>
<p>“Will he be alright? Will Tasha?”</p>
<p>“We don’t know.”</p>
<p>“We can only hope, darling.”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, but do forgive an old woman for prattling on like that. You just look so much like your mother. Probably your Great-Uncle Alphard, as well, as Sarah always said she took after him. But Ms. McGonagall brought me here to answer questions you had about her—about Sarah. What did you wish to know? I’ll help in any way I can. A child should know where he came from. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There’s—there’s no need for that. I believe you’ve answered any questions we might’ve had about his…records request. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Come along then, Mrs. O’Brian. I’ll bring you home. I assume you’re satisfied with that information, Delores, and that I’ll be seeing Mr. Rogers back in class first thing tomorrow morning? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes, Minerva. Albert will follow you out to make sure you follow security protocols for…visitors.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Translation courtesy of Google Translate’s English to Latin. If you switch it around, you get something a little different but c'est la vie. Also, any dialogue you recognize as coming from the movie...came from the movie. It is not mine. I only borrowed it.</p>
<p>Fun Fact: Delores Umbridge despised her mother because she was a Muggle. She considered her mother (and her Squib brother) to be inferior to her and her wizard father. Steve didn’t know it, but implying that Umbridge was an exact replica of her mother and saying she obviously wasn’t like her father would have been a grave insult, like a double slap to the face.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 24</strong>
</p>
<p>“Steve? Steve, can you hear me?”</p>
<p>“What’s he saying? What language is that?”</p>
<p>“It’s Irish. Gaeilge if you want to get proper about it.”</p>
<p><em>Bucky.</em> Steve wanted Bucky. His husband. <em>Yes, his husband.</em> That was right. He wanted his husband with him.</p>
<p>He tried finding a way past the cotton in his head but it was hard to concentrate. Whoever was in the room with him was being so damn <em>loud</em>.</p>
<p>A rumbling chuckle sounded nearby. <em>Bucky.</em> “Well, that’s not very nice, love.”</p>
<p>“What did he say?” Peggy. Pegs was here, too.</p>
<p>Another chuckle from his husband made him want to smile. He liked it when Bucky laughed. “He just told everyone to shut up.”</p>
<p>There were some snickers in the background.</p>
<p>Steve mumbled something more and Bucky laughed softly in his ear.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they are.”</p>
<p>“We are what?”</p>
<p>“An annoying peanut gallery.”</p>
<p>An indelicate snort sounded from somewhere nearby. “Well, he’s got you all pegged,” Peggy declared. “Now shove over, the lot of you, so Jim can get by.”</p>
<p>Where was he? What happened? The last thing he remembered was…Tasha! Where was Tasha?</p>
<p>“Shh. It’s okay. She’s okay. She’s asleep. She woke up— Well, I’ll tell you about it later. She’ll be fine. You, though, you gave us all quite the scare.”</p>
<p>Steve had made Bucky sad. He didn’t like that at all.</p>
<p>He wanted to see Bucky. Steve loved him so much.</p>
<p>He felt someone lean in close. &lt;I love you, too,&gt; his husband whispered in his ear in Irish.</p>
<p>Had he been speaking in Irish this whole time?</p>
<p>“Yeah, sweetheart, you have.”</p>
<p>Huh.</p>
<p>Someone said something quietly and Bucky murmured a soft agreement. “Do you think you can open your eyes for me, punk?”</p>
<p>Steve tried. He really tried. But he <em>couldn’t</em>.</p>
<p>“Shh. Shh, it’s okay. You don’t have to now. How about— Let’s try something else. Can you squeeze my hand?”</p>
<p>He felt Bucky’s hand slide into his. It was warm, much warmer than he expected it to be. It was then that Steve realized just how cold he was. Without intending to, his whole body began to shiver. Goosebumps spread over his skin. He tried to squeeze Bucky’s hand like he was asked but, again, he couldn’t. And he couldn’t stop shivering.</p>
<p>“Tasha, what are you—”</p>
<p>Suddenly, the blanket over him lifted. Air stirred above him making him colder still.</p>
<p>“Body heat warms better than blankets when the person under them is already freezing. I’ve seen kids at my old orphanage die of the cold…and from getting warm too quickly. The bed’s too small for you to do it yourself.”</p>
<p>Heat radiated from her small body like a hot water bottle as she settled against his cold side. Steve couldn’t move and it was truly frustrating. But his shivers slowly faded into a drugging warmth.</p>
<p>Before too long, he drifted off again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Make sure you don't skip chapter 24. This is the second chapter I’ve posted today.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 25</strong>
</p>
<p>“…and I know I’m not supposed to, but I want it anyway.”</p>
<p>Steve woke to a warm whisper in his ear. It was so quiet he doubted anyone else—if anyone else was even around—would have heard. <em>He</em> almost didn’t hear.</p>
<p>“I’ve never had a family,” Natasha whispered. “I don’t remember my parents or if I had siblings. Nobody in the orphanage in Russia cared. No one at the American one does either. But <em>you</em> do. And Professor Barnes does. You’ve always made me feel welcome, even if maybe sometimes I wasn’t. You’ve always been kind to me—before and after you knew I was nothing but an orphan. And you helped me. You made the bullying stop. You helped me make a friend.”</p>
<p>She was quiet for a long time after that.</p>
<p>Steve was about to drift back into sleep when he heard the quietest wet sniffle. “I wish <em>you</em> could be my parents.”</p>
<p>She whispered it like a childish secret she knew would never come true.</p>
<p>It broke his heart.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am so sorry. I meant to post this last night but, obviously that didn't happen. So I'm posting it now. I will post another chapter later tonight. And I'm thinking about making it 3 to finish out the story so any who are actually reading this don't have to wait until next Sunday night/Monday morning.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 26</strong>
</p>
<p>The first thing Steve saw when he opened his eyes was Bucky. His husband was sleeping in a large chair beside his bed, Steve’s hand held loosely in his own. He looked like a human version of his Demiguise form, the way he was curled up in sleep, his hair partially covering his face.</p>
<p>The next thing he saw was a flash of red through a stray sunbeam. Natasha had obviously felt him wake. She’d propped herself up on her elbow to lean over him. But she didn’t speak.</p>
<p>Her words in the night—or however many nights ago that was—came back to him.</p>
<p>“Did you mean it?” Steve rasped. His throat was dry as a desert and painful with it but he pressed on. At her confused look, he added, “What you said to me.”</p>
<p>Natasha’s face turned a brilliant shade of red and she looked away. Embarrassment, shame, nerves, and tension all flashed across her face followed by hopeless want and fear.</p>
<p>Steve clumsily eased his hand out of Bucky’s grasp, trying—and most likely failing—not to wake his husband up. He took a chance and, with what little strength he could muster, reached across himself to grasp her chin, making her meet his eyes. “Did you mean it,” he asked carefully, “when you said that you wished we could adopt you? That you wished we could be your parents?”</p>
<p>Tasha closed her eyes and a few tears slipped out. He just waited, willing his weak muscles to hold. Eventually, his stubbornness won out. She silently nodded and braced herself, as if waiting for a hit—a hit that would never come if Steve had anything to say about it.</p>
<p>He looked over and saw Bucky quietly watching them, his eyes filled with unshed tears.</p>
<p>It was a silent thing that passed between the two of them, the product of nearly twenty years of friendship, love, and marriage.</p>
<p>
  <em>I want to. Please. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes. Absolutely yes.</em>
</p>
<p>Bucky was the one to lean forward and wipe Tasha’s tears away.</p>
<p>“We’ll just have to see about doing that, then.”</p>
<p>“Well.” The three of them jolted in surprise at the sudden voice behind Bucky. “I guess I know what I’ll be getting you for a wedding present after all!” Howard Stark said cheerfully.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 27</strong>
</p>
<p>Steve would be forever grateful to Araminta for giving Buck a way to save him and to Jim for everything after that, but he was utterly exhausted.</p>
<p>Since Araminta had insisted that no magic be used on Steve, nor could they separate him from Bucky and Natasha while unconscious, Jim had resorted to Muggle medicine to keep Steve alive for the eight days he’d been out. As a result, Steve was weak as a baby kitten and healing slowly. He needed help just to get around. Even walking to the bathroom and back, dragging his IV pole along, took a lot out of him.</p>
<p>When he needed help, Bucky or Jim provided it. Steve spent the entirety of his time until the end of term in the Hospital Wing, Bucky constantly by his side.</p>
<p>It was extremely frustrating, being forced to stay put, being dependent on others. He was <em>not</em> a patient patient. It reminded him of all the years he’d spent as a sickly child enduring frequent visits to the Muggle hospital. He’d hated it then and, after years of excellent health, he hated it even more now.</p>
<p>Tasha was a frequent visitor, which was nice. Despite still only having one friend, she seemed to know all the recent gossip. She kept him entertained with students’ antics and the happenings around the school as well as with the odd joke here and there. And apparently she was learning to juggle.</p>
<p>With the end of the year preparations for their classes—including filling in for Bucky and Steve in administering their students’ final exams—all the Professors were extremely busy. But they still found time to visit. Even Headmaster Phillips came by to see Bucky and Steve a couple of times.</p>
<p>Howard was the sole exception. He’d stayed and talked for a few hours after Steve had woken. He’d asked questions here and there about them, about Natasha’s situation, or about whatever else came to his somewhat scattered mind. And then he suddenly left mumbling something about urgent business he had to attend to.</p>
<p>It wasn’t unusual for him. All the Howling Commandos had long since become used to it and expected such abrupt comings and goings. He’d been the same back in school when they’d first become friends.</p>
<p>But, four days after Howie’s visit, just a few hours before the End-of-Term Feast, he came back with Muggle paperwork for them to sign.</p>
<p>Steve and Bucky had been shocked. Howard had managed to do in a matter of days what took most people months or even years to accomplish. With his knowledge of Muggle bureaucracy, his knack for cutting through red tape, and his beyond-generous wedding gift of the money it cost to adopt plus plenty enough to afford a Hogwarts education, Steve and Bucky became Natasha’s legal parents.</p>
<p>Because of Howard, Tasha would never have to go back to the orphanage again. Not even for the summer.</p>
<p>So, it was with a happy heart that Steve told Bucky he wanted to attend the Feast.</p>
<p>It took a while after Howard left to get showered and dressed. It took even longer to make their way to the Great Hall. They used out-of-the-way corridors and passageways to get there because Steve hadn’t wanted to take the chance that someone might accidentally bump into him. He’d end up on his ass. He was still pretty unsteady on his feet. But, using Bucky as a crutch and going slow, they eventually made it. They were late, and the End-of-Term speeches and awards for House Points were all over with, but they did make it.</p>
<p>Steve was exhausted and really wanted to sit down before he collapsed.</p>
<p>He and Bucky walked into the Great Hall from an unobtrusive side entrance near their customary spots at the Staff Table. It happened to be the same door they’d used to leave the night of the Start-of-Term Feast when Araminta had first spoken to Steve. By arriving that way, they’d hoped to make it to their seats unnoticed.</p>
<p>It didn’t work at all.</p>
<p>Two steps into the room, excited applause and cheering began.</p>
<p>Steve had been watching where he placed his feet so the explosion of sound startled him. His head jerked up in surprise. Then he willed his face not to turn red at all the attention.</p>
<p>“Fuck a fucking bellend,” Steve cursed tiredly.</p>
<p>Bucky just laughed at Steve’s ridiculousness. “Come on, punk. Let’s get you settled. Then you can address your numerous adoring fans.”</p>
<p>“And fuck you, too,” Steve told him.</p>
<p>“Every night if you wish,” he replied smugly. “But only after you’re better.”</p>
<p>Steve rolled his eyes at that and sat.</p>
<p>Eventually, when it was clear that neither of them were going to speak, everyone went back to the Feast.</p>
<p>Peggy leaned forward and spoke across Jim and Dernier. “They were clapping for both of you, darling, not just Steve.”</p>
<p>Steve saw Bucky blush lightly and smirked in vindication.</p>
<p>“And I’m glad you boys could make it,” Peg added slyly. “I’m even happier knowing I won’t be grading your exams in addition to my own.”</p>
<p>&lt;Well said!&gt;</p>
<p>“Shut up, Frenchie,” Steve said from across Bucky, causing Jim to snicker into his goblet of wine and Dernier to elbow him in the side.</p>
<p>The feast passed with good-natured teasing, fine food, and high spirits.</p>
<p>Eventually, most of the students had gone off to pack or get ready for bed and Phillips left. Luna, Gabe, and Dum Dum moved their chairs and drinks around the table to sit across from them.</p>
<p>Another pleasant hour passed and Steve started to grow drowsy. While the others talked, his mind wandered. He was gazing around the large room when he caught sight of Natasha. Seeing her made his brain focus, even as tired as he was.</p>
<p>She was the last student still in the Great Hall and she looked miserable. She pushed uneaten food around her plate with a fork. He watched until she finally looked up, staring longingly at them all.</p>
<p>Catching her eye, he gave her a small ‘come here’ motion. While she got up and walked towards them, steps slow and heavy, Steve reached for Bucky’s back pocket. Grabbing hold of his wallet, Steve wiggled it loose.</p>
<p>It only took a second for his husband to realize what Steve was about to do and he quickly interrupted the conversations to quiet everyone down.</p>
<p>Natasha arrived at their table, but looked despondently at the ground instead of at anyone.</p>
<p>While fishing for what he wanted from inside Bucky’s magically extended wallet, Steve asked, “What’s wrong, Tasha? Aren’t you glad classes are over?”</p>
<p>Her lower lip quivered but she didn’t cry. “No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to leave.”</p>
<p>And go back to the orphanage, Steve knew. There wasn’t much he could say to that so, when he finally got hold of what he wanted, he drew it out.</p>
<p>“I—” Bucky gently nudged him in the side with his elbow and Steve corrected himself. “<em>We</em> have something to show you.”</p>
<p>He slid the documents Howie gave them over to her. Natasha looked the first page over before her eyes lit on one specific part near the bottom. She sucked in a breath and looked up at Steve and Bucky in wide-eyed shock.</p>
<p>“What does it say?” Dum Dum asked curiously, trying to read upside down from his spot across the table.</p>
<p>Slowly, as though she couldn’t quite believe her eyes, Tasha began to read aloud.</p>
<p>“On this day, Friday, June 18, 2021…we, the court, declare that—”</p>
<p>She paused, glancing up at Steve and Bucky before swallowing hard. Her Russian accent began to grow more pronounced with each consecutive word she spoke.</p>
<p>“—declare that minor Natalia Yelizaveta Romanov is to be—”</p>
<p>Her breath hitched.</p>
<p>“—is to be adopted—”</p>
<p>Tears started to fall in earnest.</p>
<p>“—by one James Buchanan Barnes and one Steven Grant Rogers—”</p>
<p>Her hands shook as she tried to focus on the words enough to finish.</p>
<p>“—beginning Saturday, June 19—”</p>
<p>Natasha didn’t read any more. She dropped the papers where they fluttered from the table to the floor. Sobbing, she walked straight into Steve’s arms. He found enough strength in him to pull her into his lap and Bucky immediately scooted closer to rub her back soothingly.</p>
<p>Through her hiccupping sobs, she asked, “I don’t have to go back?”</p>
<p>“No, Tasha. You won’t ever have to go back. You’re ours now. And we’re yours.”</p>
<p>That just made her cry harder.</p>
<p>There were congratulations and well wishes from their friends.</p>
<p>Peggy had a wide smile on her face as she looked over the paperwork she’d gathered up with her wand. “Howard?”</p>
<p>“Howard,” Bucky confirmed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>According to Google, “well said” in French (bien dit) is the equivalent of the English phrase “hear, hear.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And this is the end of Impromptu. To those of you who read this and enjoyed it, I’m glad I could give you something that hopefully made your day a little bit better. To those who gave kudos, thank you. You made me smile. And to those of you who commented, sometimes to the point of being my own personal cheering section, you are fabulous and always managed to brighten my day. You got me a little more motivated to actually finish posting this. Thank you. </p><p>Also, heads up: This is the third chapter I posted tonight. Make sure you don't skip any.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Chapter 28</strong> </p><p>Steve and Bucky spent the last night of term in their own quarters. Steve was relieved to finally be out of the infirmary, even if Jim had advised against leaving.</p><p>Natasha, after her tears were finally spent, had hugged them both tight. They’d sent her off to bed saying they’d talk to her in the morning. Steve had then told the others that he was tired and Bucky helped him to their rooms.</p><p>Now, lying in bed with the lights out, they quietly talked.</p><p>“What are we going to do?” Bucky asked. “HYDRA is dead. Only a few of the rats remain which MACUSA and the Ministry are handling. The school year is over and we now have a kid to take care of, a little girl who’s counting on us. Do we move? Go back to England or Ireland? Somewhere in the US?”</p><p>“We could…” Steve bit his lip.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“We could stay here. Be professors again next year. I enjoyed teaching. And I really liked being so close to our friends again.”</p><p>Bucky was quiet. As time slowly passed, Steve grew nervous of the silence.</p><p>“Do you… Do you <em>want</em> to go somewhere else? We could—”</p><p>But Steve had barely gotten the words out when Bucky blurted, “I liked it, too. I didn’t think I would, but I liked teaching with you and the Howlies and studying the stars and being around the kids. I was teaching them but I learned things too.”</p><p>“So, you’re saying…?”</p><p>“I’m saying I want to stay, to be a professor. I want to teach again next year. And maybe even after that.”</p><p>Steve felt a smile bloom on his face. He knew Bucky couldn’t see it as dark as it was, but it was there all the same. Finding his husband’s hand, Steve threaded their fingers together. “So we stay? Have lessons that are actually planned out in advance so we’re not flying by the seat of our pants?”</p><p>Bucky snorted. “It would be nice if neither of us got hurt along the way, too.”</p><p>“Well, it <em>is</em> a school full of underage children with magical abilities and wands.”</p><p>Bucky poked him in the side and Steve flinched away. Obviously sensing weakness, Buck followed after him, tickling relentlessly until Steve was squirming and laughing so hard he cried.</p><p>&lt;Mercy!&gt; he called in Irish. &lt;Mercy! I give up!&gt;</p><p>When Bucky finally stopped, Steve sighed and wiped his tears away. He moved back to the middle of the bed and flopped down on top of Bucky.</p><p>“So we stay? We teach?”</p><p>“Yeah. We stay. We teach. And we raise Tasha.”</p><p>What do we do for the summer?”</p><p>“I heard that a town is getting settled near here. We could move there for the two months of break.”</p><p>“What, like Hogsmeade?”</p><p>“Yeah. A wizarding village. I heard Peg talking about it with Phillips while you were…” Bucky cleared his throat. “Anyway, it’ll be the first one in the area, as most wizardkind are on the East or West Coasts. As Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, they’ve had meetings with quite a few Native American tribes in the surrounding states and people from all over are being welcomed to join or visit. The town, I mean. Not Hogwarts.”</p><p>Bucky ran his fingers absently through Steve’s hair. “There was talk, too, of sharing knowledge. Native Americans are apparently very adept at all sorts of wandless magic, knowledge passed down through the generations. I understand wandwork was originally a British thing before Ilvermorny opened its doors.”</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>“They also wanted the opinions of a people who’ve lived here for hundreds of years on how to…treat the land respectfully, I guess would be the right phrase. Pegs said that we’re the new ones here—the intruders, so to speak—so we should reach out and start communications with those who have been here for a long time, with people who know the land. She said it was the right thing to do. Phillips either agreed with her or was later convinced because that’s apparently what they’ll be doing this summer.”</p><p>“Good. I agree. It is the right thing to do. There’s no sense in alienating ourselves from the communities already around. And Yellowstone is gorgeous. We should to keep it that way. If people who know the land have ways to preserve its beauty, if we can build good relations with them, then it can do nothing but help. And if anyone—us <em>or</em> them—needed any sort of help, it would be easier to give or receive it. The world can be a dangerous place. It’s better to have friends by your side.”</p><p>“Ah. Good ol’ Steve: hopelessly optimistic, but with an equal amount of worldly pessimism. Anyway, what do you say? Do you want to see about moving there, maybe helping with the startup of a new town? Then we either stay there and commute to Hogwarts every day, or move back here when term starts up again.”</p><p>“Hmm.” Steve thought about it. He looked around as moonlight peaked out from behind some clouds and lit up the room. “I’ve liked living here. There’s room to run, to fly. I vote for living in town during summer breaks and here while classes are in session.”</p><p>“Then that’s what we’ll do, love. We’ll tell Tasha in the morning.”</p><p>“I bet she’ll be excited to finally have a home. I’m so thankful to Howard for everything he’s done for us.”</p><p>“Me, too, punk. Me, too. We’re just never going to tell him that.”</p><p>Steve snorted. No, they wouldn’t be doing that. Howie’s head didn’t need to get any bigger.</p><p>“Now go to sleep,” Bucky said through a yawn. “We’ve got six hundred kids to help wrangle in the morning.”</p><p>THE END</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you're interested, there might be a few bonus parts to this AU. We'll see. If I do add something, I’m not sure if it’ll be posted in the Harry Potter/Magic AUs series or if I’ll make a secondary series that contains the Impromptu verse alone.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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